The Birth of a New Evil
by Quinninism
Summary: Sequal to A Love Over Time: Will Kakashi ever get over the past and move on? What really happened to Ritsuka all those years ago, and what is this new evil plauging the shinobi world? can it be stopped? Kakashi x OC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It had been six long and hard years for Kakashi. He stared hard at the KIA monument, tracing his fingers along the names of the many people he had lost. He had lingered longingly on one name in particular: Kurosaki Ritsuka. He sighed sadly before straitening himself up, his eyes stringing with the effort to not cry, his hand dropping down by his side with a thump. Time didn't seem to be doing the healing he had hoped it would.

Images of the past few years went through his mind as he stood in his cold and empty silence, the past haunting him. Long nights spent awake and wondering, or ones filled with dreams of the horrors that could have taken place. His fingers twiddled with a couple of small metal bands in his pocket, where he had kept them since he had got them. He had planned everything out so well. Ritsuka was going to return from her last mission and the two were going to pick a house. After her second trimester when she would probably feel the worst, due to the ever growing weight and inability to do much of the things she loved, he was going to marry her. Remind her that she was beautiful and perfect in everyway no matter what size or shape she was, or whether she could sit up from the floor in under five minutes or not. He sighed heavily as the Hokage's decision to assume Ritsuka was dead rang through his memories like it had only happened yesterday.

He could still sometimes smell her on the pillow cases or when he walked into the flat after a long mission. He had tried hard to let her go, but when it all came doing to make the move, and finally break free, he felt that he just couldn't. It wasn't that he wanted to be depressed forever, or that he thought it would have been too hard, or he couldn't do it. He just simply didn't want to. He didn't want to forget her, forget the times they shared. And he knew he could. He could have moved on, hundreds of girls seemed to be throwing themselves at him, but he just didn't care. He wanted Ritsuka, and that was it. Plain and simple. He did everything he could to keep her memory alive, though he would never admit that he had been using the shampoo she used to buy when she had first moved in.

Kakashi would return to the monument every morning, like he had done for longer than he can remember, and would sometimes get so lost in his own thoughts that the day would pass by without his knowledge, which didn't help with his already tardy time keeping. But today, like many others, he had managed to stop himself from spiralling into his little pool of empty despair and thoughtlessness, and was heading back to take his team on their newest mission.

Naruto and Sakura had long ago given up on lecturing him on his lateness. They had been so accustomed to it that they themselves slacked a little with the early morning meets. Yamato had disapproved, and Sai would usually turn up early, taking it upon himself to lecture them instead. It had all been quite comical to Kakashi.

But on this particular morning, the whole team were weirded out beyond repair when Kakashi was sitting in a tree branch waiting for them in the clearing, tossing his mission scroll absently as he thought back to the past, Ritsuka's perfectness plaguing him. Yamato was most deeply disturbed when Kakashi had only just realised they had arrived when they were so close to the tree, which was not like him at all.

"Kakashi! You're early! Are you sick?" Naruto enthusiastically joked, his big smile warming him slightly. Kakashi faked a dramatic cough and jumped down from the tree. He pushed Sakura off of him when she tried to feel for a temperature, relaying the mission to his team as a distraction. He prided himself in his smoothness.

After they readied themselves, Kakashi walked on through the forest, leading away from Konohagakure with his team, Yamato walking closely beside him and Naruto, Sakura and Sai ahead, all squabbling as usual. He sighed as he stared up into the sky, feeling particularly depressed today. Yesterday had been the anniversary of Ritsuka's disappearance, the day he lost the one he loved and their child. It had really knocked him out of sorts today, so much so that others were noticing. Tears threatened to come, though his highly trained self prevented it. He found himself once again thanking his mask for its existence.

"Kakashi? I don't want to seem out of place here, but you seem rather distracted today. Is everything alright?" Yamato never failed to pick up on the smallest of details, a useful trait in the man, yet an annoying one.

"Ahahah... I'm fine, I'm fine!" Kakashi quickly replied, though perhaps a little too quickly. Yamato remained unconvinced, but knew that perusing the matter was pointless. Kakashi was famous for being mysterious, never the one to share his personal thoughts with anyone.

"If you say so." But that didn't mean Yamato was going to let Kakashi think he had pulled the wool over his eyes though. Nuh uh!

The team continued to dash through the trees, enjoying the breeze they made on this particularly hot day. They had a couple of weeks travelling to get to their destination; it was practically at the other side of the world. Naruto had of course jumped into action happily, and Sakura moaned about the distance some what, but the team seemed to be making good progress.

Light turned to darkness as day turned to night, and the team found a spot to set up camp. The night was thankfully a lot cooler. Team seven sat and talked for a while, exchanging pleasantries and gossiping, well Sakura was gossiping to the group at any rate.

Kakashi had however retreated to the forest surrounding them claiming to be setting up the usual traps before heading off with the group to bed. He trudged through the dead leaves of the forest floor, kicking at sticks and stones as they crossed his path. The moonlight filtered through the canopy above, creating strange but intricate decorations on the ground and tree trunks. He appreciated nature's beauty as he tried to avoid his thoughts, following a squirrel with his eyes as it jumped and weaved through the branches.

Things like this grew hard to do, the thought of Ritsuka loving this scene tugging at Kakashi's subconscious. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't get her out of his head. He had been so love sick for so long that he wasn't sure if it had gotten better or worse since she vanished. He blamed himself of course, having thought he should have done her mission for her. Maybe he should have put his foot down harder on the issue when she fell pregnant, or even searched further into the world once she was gone. Would he have been able to catch her and rescue her if he had gone in search for her the day she didn't return?

He felt his eyes sting in an all too familiar way as he continued to battle with himself, his guilt getting the better of him. He had been forced to see some councillors in his time, the Hokage fearing that Kakashi was becoming unstable. But really he just wanted to be alone. He was sort of glad she was gone, no longer worrying about what might happen since it had already happened. It sounded mean, but he could rest knowing he will never lose anyone again, because he didn't have anyone. The last to go had been Jiraiya.

Kakashi pushed the thought that he had grown close to his team far into the depths of his mind, deciding that it just wasn't on the same level. Was it?

He couldn't. Couldn't handle the torment, the constant torturing memories.

Kakashi shook his head as he began to set the traps. He needed a clear mind to deal with this mission. Needed to forget the past and move on. He had to! It was time to forget. But god he didn't want to…

Kakashi returned to camp a few minutes later, the area secure. The team headed to bed in the make shift house Yamato had constructed with his incredibly useful wood skills.

The rest of the journey had followed on the same, running, jumping, eating and sleeping. It took them a week and five days to reach their destination.

The town they had arrived in was one without Shinobi, hence why they had been requested as a group of the finest shinobi from Konoha to come and aid them. Something had been wreaking havoc in the southern areas of the nameless countries, and villages were being evacuated for safety measures. Something huge was going down, but no one seemed to know what. Kakashi's team were not the only ones picked for this mission. A couple of the others were making their way down later in the week. Gai's team would be arriving tomorrow at night, or that was the aim anyway. He may well already be here with a very tired team crawling behind him.

The team set off to the head of the country, unsure of the challenges ahead.

…………………………………

Rain fell on the ground as lightning streaked the sky dangerously. The air of the night was humid, danger filling the atmosphere. Mud squelched and splashed loudly as a girl, carrying a young boy on her back, ran through the streets of a deserted town. Her breath was coming in heavy pants as the last of her energy was leaving her. Behind her were three great, black, creatures racing after her, their arms outstretched and ready to grab her at any chance. She felt her legs begin to wobble and give way ever so slightly now and then, causing panic and tears to well up in her eyes. Her grip on the child tightened as she picked up her pace the best she could, noting her breath becoming even heavier. The boy on her back gripped tighter onto her shoulders, clamping his eyes shut as she ran for their lives.

The black creatures began to shout their annoyance at the girl, catching the attention of others close by. Her heart sank as she heard more footsteps splashing behind her, indicating more on their pursuit. Her hope was not dashed, however, as she spotted a fast running river nearby. She had heard that these beasts couldn't swim and she was desperate enough to be willing to test the theory out. The sun would be out soon, and this would definitely buy her time.

And without much more thought on the matter, she made her last dash for the river, her grip tightening even more onto the boy, if it were possible.

"Hold on." she whispered as she jumped as far into the river as she could. The current swept her head under surprisingly violently. She struggled to gain control of herself again, but managed in all the panic and rushing waters to grab onto something sturdy on the other side. Her first move was to bring the boy's head out of the water, which proved to be rather difficult, but she managed it. She felt him grab onto whatever she was holding, and pull himself out of the water. She gasped desperately for some more air before having her head forcefully tugged under as her grip on the object slipped.

The sounds of rushing water and the muffled panicked shouts of the boy filled her ears as she threw her hands out to grab something else. Her back was suddenly thrown against something hard, which had stopped her from being washed away, though it had winded her badly. She was desperately trying to catch a breath as well as the shore as she felt her lungs fill with water. Amidst all her efforts to breathe she managed to grab the edge of the bank, and pull herself halfway to safety. She was now succeeding in the breathing department, and cold hands pulled her to safety. Her mind raced as her heart slowed itself, adrenaline pumping through her and making her shiver.

"Mother! Mother!! Wake up!! Are you okay?!! MOTHER!!" the boy's shouts broke the girl's semi conscious state, bringing her more towards awake. God she would give anything to sleep, the bags under her eyes an indication of her tired body. Her vision blurred as she tried to take her surroundings in, her brains unscrambling slowly.

"Kyoya? I'm fine. Everything is alright now..." a wave of coughs came careering through her body without warning, sending the poor boy into another panicked craze. The girl leaned over on her side, coughing up the water that had managed to find its way down her throat. "I'm *cough cough cough* fine! I just *cough cough cough* need some time to *cough* recuperate." the boy nodded knowingly and helped his mother up. He helped her as much as he could to walk, but his height, or lack of in this case, proved to be quite a large disadvantage. But he managed to pretty much drag her to a nearby tree, resting her back against it. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she thanked her son for rescuing her.

"They're gone. The rumours must be true about them not being able to swim. But even so! That was so dangerous and ridiculous! You could have died!" the boy lectured his mother, shivering slightly against the wind. Being wet didn't help their situation at all. She laughed softly as he continued his rant about how she was so careless and stupid at times that he couldn't understand how they had even made it this far.

"Kyoya jeez! Give me a break. It's not like I was _trying_ to kill us. It was an opportunity that I seized is all. We were heading that direction anyway... kind of..." her son stared hard at her, a look of outright annoyance plastered on his face. She sighed again and rolled her eyes "You're welcome, for me saving your life, by the way." she laughed again as her son got all flustered and apologetic.

"I just don't want you getting yourself killed with one of your stupid stunts is all..." His mother looked at him caringly, proud of her little boy who was growing up so fast.

"It worked didn't it?" she then winked and giggled mischievously as her son slapped his own forehead in agitation.

"You're impossible..."

They argued a little more as the girl got her strength back, fully aware that they were not safe for long.

"Right, I think we will need to make a move soon. I can't imagine it has taken those creatures long to find the bridge, and I'm sure they are looking for us as we speak." her son nodded briskly, glad to hear that her sensibilities were back. "So I was thinking we should probably head to the nearest village, get food and supplies, and then head off to warn other towns and villages 'til we get to the capital. How does that sound?" her son nodded again. "Good! Shall we?" she pointed off into the forest, indicating for Kyoya to go first. That way she could watch him and their surroundings.

The two headed off, running at a steady pace through the forest.

**Herro everyone! and welcome to the second part of our adventure! I hope you are all full of questions that i can answer over what will seem like a frustratingly long time XD**

**I kid, but i do hope your still interested in whats going on. But the wait is over, and now we can begind our new journey! **

**so i hope we all have fun! **

**Peace!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright! Before we begin this chapter, a little warning: There are some goary parts to this chapter, and will probably continue on throughout the story. I have kept my descriptions quick and simple, and i have not gone into too much detail, but the ideas are still quite disturbing (yes i have a bit of a dark mind) So just to let you know so you don't go plowing into this and get a we fright!**

**I bet it will seem like nothing now, but that's better than you getting a shock!**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 2

Kakashi tried to understand the best he could what was going on. Many eye witnesses had travelled to the main country's capital to tell their tales of great escape, each one more over the top and less realistic than the next. He had to really take control of himself when he felt the urges to roll his eyes or laugh, depending on the story.

This had all come about when there seemed to be a birth of a new kind of creature. The problem was that these creatures were in no way understood, and were incredibly deadly. There apparent hunger for human death seemed to be insatiable, their constant looting and rampaging through villages and towns becoming more increased. Not only that, but there numbers were multiplying exponentially, meaning that if they were to be stopped, they would need to be extinct.

Story after story was told to Kakashi, Yamato and Gai, none of them seeming to hold any substance. But one thing was for sure.

The creatures had to be stopped.

Kakashi rubbed his tired eyes as a farmer was next, his tale of dragons and demons finally becoming too much.

"Have you actually seen one of these great creatures?" Kakashi had asked, his bored tone offending the man visibly.

"Well, not up close no… But I did see one disappear into a forest over the other side of the mountain from my village." The man beamed as if he ought to get some kind of medal, or at least a pat on the back. Kakashi cringed.

"So, would you be able to describe one to us?" His patience was wearing thin. He just wanted to go to bed and brood over the past… Anything but this.

"Black." The man simply stated. Kakashi waited for a moment, to see if he would elaborate, but the man just continued to stare expectantly.

"Black" Kakashi repeated. This man was a real pain…

"Well thank you for your time, and I'm sure we shall get this problem sorted soon." Yamato had stepped in, that brilliant man, and saved Kakashi from a possible brain tumour. Once the man had left, Gai burst into floods of laughter.

"Black! Was that the great news he had to bring?! Black!" He was holding his side with one arm, the other hand wiping at his eyes. "Let me through! Let me through!" Gai was acting out the tired and panting farmer. "I hold the key to all that you need! I must speak of my great and powerful news! Black!!!" Gai was now crawling on the floor as if he were close to death by exhaustion. "God I almost laughed in the man's face. How rude that would have been…" He sat back down in his seat and leaned back, trying to get comfortable for what felt like the millionth time that day. Kakashi held his own laughter, strangely grateful that Gai had come along, and Yamato fussed about these people not really knowing much better. Yamato though could only keep his face serious for so long, and soon the three were giggling like little boys.

"Next!" Yamato seemed to be taking control in Kakashi's stead, aware that the man was close to breaking point.

"One more talk about vampires and dragons and I think I'm going to -" Kakashi was interrupted by a flailing man who had been unleashed on them.

"Oh great sirs! You have no idea what trouble you are getting yourself in for! But what needs to be done needs to be done! But mark my words! When you meet a creature, your life will vanish!" He clapped his hands dramatically, "Just like that! Snuffed out like a candle in a storm!" He continued to prophesise the shinobis' inevitable deaths as if it were some kind of folk lore. Kakashi was really beginning to get sick of this shit.

"So you're telling me that all these witnesses won't really have seen the creatures because if they had done, they would be dead?" The man nodded vigorously.

"From afar maybe, but never close up." The man seemed to be speaking from experience, which had Kakashi interested suddenly. He just had to accept the man's Gai like nature…

"Have you?" Kakashi was now leaning in, trying to show that he was taking this interview very seriously.

"Once." He fidgeted with his cloak, his eyes filling with unshed tears. "My son. He found one, dying in the forest. Well, we thought it was dead, but in fact was just dying. With the last of its strength, it killed my son, leaving me alone to bury all I had into the ground forever." The man seemed to falter near the end, his heart heavy.

"I am… So sorry for your loss. But it is of the utmost importance that you can tell me all you know. What you saw? Any smell or distinguishing features apart from just "black"" Kakashi could feel the closeness to the goal of this whole farce, that he could almost taste the answers.

"They are, of human height, though they are a lot wider. Not fat, but muscle wider. Really muscled. Ridiculously so." Kakashi bit his tongue. This man was really drawing it out… They didn't have time for this! "They, well the one we found, didn't speak in native tongue. In fact, I don't think it does? It's sort of animalistic… I'm sorry, it was under hard circumstances…" The man broke down a little and Kakashi was by his side in a second. His hand rested firmly on the man's shoulder, his signature closed eye smile in place.

"We'll sort this. Make it so that this never has to happen to anyone again by these dreadful creatures." The man hugged Kakashi hard, the unexpected embrace catching him off guard, though no one would have known with his brilliantly practised plain exterior.

"Thank you! Kind sir! Thank you! May the gods look after your soul." Kakashi felt strange receiving such a religious good luck, but he accepted it and helped the man on his way.

Things were looking bad…

……………………………….

It didn't take them long before they reached the next village. A cold wind hit the pair as they looked down the valley to see smoke rising from some of the houses that had already been burned down. Ritsuka felt her heart and throat constrict uncomfortably, a deep sadness taking her.

"We're too late..." Kyoya said, his voice so quiet and holding a hint of tears. He was too young for all this death and evil, and it pained her to see him like this. His mother put her arm around his shoulder, pulling him close to her for comfort. The boy needed all the tenderness he could get. But soon she would have them out of the eastern countries and into the shinobi lands. That's where she had been told to go, where everything would start to make sense again.

"Let's check for survivors." she simply stated before giving him one last squeeze and leading him down the valley quietly. They approached the town warily, listening for any sounds to indicate a threat, or even just a sign of life. The wind blew paper and rubbish across the ground of the village, dust whipping up and settling down in between gusts. Great gouges were ripped from the once level streets, claw marks streaking ominously along and down walls. Blood was splattered everywhere, pools of countless drag marks running all towards the same direction. The stench was almost unbearable.

No sign of life. The girls hope was almost lost when she noticed the faint sound of crying. Slowly and carefully the two slinked alongside the walls, making their way towards the centre of the town. The dragged blood trails were increasing the closer they got, and what was there to meet them shocked them to the bone. Kyoya almost let out a yell as his eyes fell on the scene. His mother's hands had rested on his forehead quickly as she covered up his vision, her soothing voice hushing him. "Stay here" she quietly whispered "and don't look." She demanded.

The girl quietly and carefully made her way towards a mound of bodies. Each person had been piled up and stuck to another with spears and sticks. She was pretty sure all of them were dead; though she couldn't be positive they had been when they were stacked. The thought chilled her soul. There seemed to be no remorse with these monsters, no mercy for women and children. The old or the sick… The sound of millions of flies could be heard in an ominous drone, the smell rising and falling as she stared helplessly. When her eyes had reached the top, she almost cried out in horror as her inner thoughts were proven. At the peak of this mountain of death, three babies had been tied together with their heads bitten off, or so it seemed, and put on sticks, which were driven through the bodies to hold them there.

She found herself stuck to the spot in disgust and horror. Never had she seen such brutality so clearly displayed. She silently cursed the creatures as she tore her gaze from the mound of evil, continuing her search for the crying. She had to be quick, she couldn't live with herself in this life or the next if this was the fate of her own son, all because she had taken to long ogling at what seemed to be the gates of hell. She checked a couple of nearby houses, but the sound came from the centre of the courtyard. She hoped to god that they were safe, and not attached to the spikes of doom.

After more searching, she thankfully found round the other side of this display a small girl with her arms wrapped round her legs, and her head between her knees, crying. She was rocking dangerously, as if all sanity had left her. Who wouldn't be in the same state in such a situation? The girl didn't even seem to flinch when the woman walked towards her, her feet squelching in the mud. She bent down and touched the small girls' shoulders, gently alerting her of her presence.

"I'm sorry..." was all she could say to the small girl. It seemed useless, and tiny in comparison to what she wanted to say, but it would have to do until they were safe. She didn't know what else to say to make the girl move, and she knew that the time they were spending in the open was too dangerous. They would have to get under the cover of the forest as soon as possible. "Why don't you come with me? We'll get you out of here." the small girl nodded slowly, but made no effort to move, so the woman picked her up gently, carrying her bridal style back towards her son. It had been harder than she thought to carry the girl, not because of her weight, but because of the lifeless lump she spilled into, like all hope and innocence of childhood had been violently ripped away. She didn't hold on to her, didn't make any effort to steady herself as she lay in the girl's arms and it made her heart wrench in agonizing empathy.

Kyoya was desperately trying hard not to look at the bodies, and almost smiled gratefully when he saw his mother with the source of the crying. "Lets go." his mother said, her voice hollow and tainted with a dangerous sadness. It unnerved him to see her so upset, but said nothing as he followed them off into the forest, the girl sensing and listening for any other survivors.

And so the three continued their journey onto the next village, hoping against hope that they would not be too late for this one.

**So that's the second chapter up now! This will be the general layout for a couple of chapters onwards, Kakashi at the begining, mystery girl at the end, that way both stories are being touched on in each chapter and there aren't too many long cliffhangers. I do hate them myself so why should i make you suffer too much eh?**

**After all you have been so lovely with your reviews and constant reading XD**

**So thanks again for tuning in and i'll get to work on the next chapter XD!!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kakashi lay in the bed that had been provided for his stay in the East. There was a window just next to it, which he was quite appreciative of. The moon would shine through it, making him feel a sense of peace he hadn't experienced in a long time. He could even stare at the stars and call up his knowledge of the constellations, pretend to himself that he could maybe see the future, but none of it ever made real sense to him.

The day had been rather trying for him in his already pissed off state. This had been the first year that Tsunade had made him work on the anniversary of Ritsuka's disappearance, and he couldn't help but feel a little cheated. Surely after everything he had done in his time he deserved a little thought and care to be taken when considering his feelings. But not anymore. Apparently he's had plenty of time to heal. Stupid blonde…

Kakashi was in the middle of his silent rant when Gai fluttered into his room, without any warning. Surely after all he had done he had definitely reserved the right to privacy…

"Kakashi my friend! We have to go for a meeting. A new witness has been found and Sakura is doing what she can." Kakashi sat up in his bed, a questioning look in place. "He has travelled for miles to explain some bad news, but we don't know what it is yet. And he is in bad shape, must be in his sixties. So you coming?" Kakashi nodded and threw on a t-shirt and tied his hitae-ate round his eye before following Gai to the meeting room.

Kakashi pushed his way through the crowd of officials that had made there way to the scene, Gai following close behind. Sakura was bent over a wheezing man, her chakra filled hands performing various tasks. She nodded her head to Kakashi in a hello, and returned her concentration to her patient. Yamato spoke from behind them.

"Apparently he showed up an hour ago, but one of the higher ups didn't take him seriously. It wasn't until he dropped to his knees in exhaustion that action had been taken. They wanted to leave him 'til morning!" Yamato was shaking his head as he relayed some of the information he had gathered from the possibly dying man. "He saw them. He said they came in such a huge number that his small village didn't stand a chance. They were like werewolves, but more human. Would walk and run on two legs. They streaked though the village and killed everything in their path. Apparently his daughter had hidden him under the floor of their house before defending herself. She fell." Yamato seemed pained by the news, but pulled himself together quickly. "The beasts had missed him and left, leaving carnage and death behind. Apparently it's the southern people we need to talk to. They are the ones being attacked. The ones we are interviewing just want a piece of the action and the sympathy that comes with it." Yamato was referring to the fools who spoke of dragons and near death experiences like it was an epic tale deserving of medals. It was quite obvious now that they had never encountered such creatures, and that the last elderly man they had spoken to was the only valuable source, bar this new fellow.

"Did he notice any defining features?" Kakashi held the urge from saying 'Black perhaps?' back from his question. This was no time for anger or sarcasm, even though they had been held back from doing what they could, and now more people were dead.

"No. He couldn't see much from his hiding place. He has poor vision as it is…" Yamato was trailing off in thought.

"Then it's settled. We are going to the south. I want to see these things for myself. We will probably learn a hell of a lot more that way. Gai?" Gai nodded in agreement and headed off to get his team ready. Yamato too, nodded.

"Once Sakura is finished, we should head out." And so after a sleepless night, the two teams headed out, leaving a message for the rest of the teams who turned up to follow in suit.

…………………..

The three made their way through the forest swiftly, Kyoya trailing behind slightly with his shorter legs hindering him. He would curse under his breath when his mother slowed down now and then to let him catch up. She seemed be in a lot of thought, and a little unnerved. She must have just been worried about the other villages. Kyoya hated it when she was sad, or quiet. She was too empathic for her own good, and she tried to be so strong all the time, even after everything that had happened. She might have forgotten, but he remembered everything he had seen her put through.

Night seemed to darken even more as they ran on, and the wind picked up bringing rain with it. Kyoya changed from cursing himself to cursing the skies. Why, of all the times did it have to be so shitty now? Everything just seemed to be falling apart around his ears. They were meant to be escaping from the danger and the pain. Escaping to a place where everything would sort itself. But everything was just getting in the way; his mother's illness, the black creatures, that sadistic fucker of a man who has ruined his and his mother's lives! He would give anything to find who they had been searching for, the one who was meant to sort everything…

Kyoya was beginning to wonder if his mother was lost when she stopped suddenly, grabbing him by the colour and throwing him unceremoniously behind a tree. She put her finger to her lips, indicating for him to stay quiet. She placed the girl who was fast asleep by now, against the tree with him and nodded to wards her. Kyoya knew she wanted him to watch over her as she left to do whatever it was she was planning. He feared of her safety, but knew it to be pointless to stop her. When his mother was going to do something it was done, though annoyingly not always done safely.

The girl stepped out from the shadows and slinked behind another tree, making her way slowly to the edge of the cliff that they had been running along.

Down in the valley below, she could see in the moonlit ground that a group of the creatures were making their way to the small town she had been looking for. If she didn't do something now then they would all perish. But what?

She looked around herself, thinking desperately; if she could just make a signal of some kind. But there was nothing she could do that wouldn't also alert the creatures of her position. Normally it would have been fine, but with the kids with her... It was too risky.

Instead, she ran alongside the cliff, sprinting for everything she was worth towards the small town. She would have to warn them herself.

She whipped through the trees, desperation making her body numb, ignoring the pain her legs felt as they were pushed to their limits. Closer and closer the village came, as did the creatures. She breathed deeper and faster, pushing herself harder. Her lungs wheezed in protest, coughs threatening to stop her, but she pushed on. The town was so close now she could have even shouted, but she had to play it safe. Kyoya would scold her badly if he was watching, but she didn't have time to worry about that now.

The cliff lessened the closer she got and the forest moved out into the valley. She ran through and leapt from the forest to behind the nearest building. She stumbled a little at the sudden pressure on her damaged knees, but she righted herself and ran to the centre of the town, knocking all the doors along the way, screaming at the top of her longs her news. Lights went on and illuminated the town, people running out their houses bearing house hold utensils as weapons. The girl felt a sense of futility, but continued her rampage. Soon the whole town were readying themselves... but that was not her aim. She wanted them to run, evacuate, escape!

"No! You won't win! We have to run..." but no one seemed to listen to her in their blind panic.

"Just stay out of our business. This isn't your village, you don't have to stay. Run if you want, but our people were born here, have lived here and will die here." a stranger had said while rushing by her, a shovel in hand. The girl couldn't believe her ears, but somehow understood. A sense of pride filled her, pride that these people were being so brave and fierce, but this pride was quickly replaced by a feeling of uselessness, and she hated it. She saw children hiding in their rooms, their little faces peering out of their windows. She felt her heart tighten and found herself picking up the nearest object that would be useful for bashing. If they were all going to uselessly die, she was going to do her best to save whoever she could. As she went to head towards the area that the rest of the town had chosen as their battle ground, she felt someone stop her. A woman pushed her children towards the girl, begging her to take them with her. They were a pair of twins with light brown hair and glistening brown eyes. The woman was sobbing hysterically as she rubbed their hair and kissed their foreheads, her rambling of sweet goodbyes sounding in the girl's mind like an alarm. She felt her heart ache as she saw the futile effort these people were making, and nodded to the woman, dropping her broom stick and taking the twins by the hands. She had to save who she could, and if meant just these two twins, then it was better than dying in some futile effort to save those who didn't want to be saved. Kyoya and that girl needed her, and now these twins to.

"Don't worry. The other mothers will be escaping with their children, but I am afraid I will not make it. Nor will I leave my husband to die alone, so please, look after them well. We will give you as much time as we can!" the woman shocked the girl with her words, but there was nothing she could do to stop this disaster. Time was precious, and if she was going to save these people then she would have to act now.

The girl could not think of any words to say, but the woman had already left, readying herself for her inevitable fate. The girl took one last look before running, the twins calling to their parents in fear and anguish. As she ran she shouted for evacuators to follow her into the forest where they could get to the next village. Groups of children were pushed towards the girl and the twins, but no mothers seemed to be following her. Their dedication to their town and its people filled the girls' heart, but it hurt to see it in action. So she led the children out of the village narrowly escaping the group of creatures from catching them as they left. She had to ignore the scene behind her and look forward to the future otherwise she would have broken down and wasted so many young lives…

She counted 17 children as she slowed down to make sure none of the creatures had followed. She sighed as she thought of the problems that were going to arise. She then led the children to her son and the other rescue. Once she had everyone together, they headed out towards the next village, leaving their homes and families forever.

**Herro everyone! I am trying desperately to beef up my chapters, but i don't seem to be doing to well. The 3000 word mark is just ambitious i think. I keep reaching points where the chapter should end before i've written enough. Oh well...**

**So i hope you guys are still having a good time, i know i am. I've been dying to write this part of the story out. The whole scene of events is just so fun to write, plusi feel i can get a good strong female character going, with complicated emotions and a hard past, but she still kicks some serious ass! i like to have a balanced female and i feel i can finally acheive it with this part of the story. **

**Well thanks again for stopping by! hope to see you again! XD**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The two teams headed down to the southern parts of the eastern countries. They had picked out a large town just north of the hot spots of attacks, so as to make base there as they carried out their investigations. They would also be able to help with the injured and sick who came in the huge waves of evacuees. Sakura was feeling fired up as she readied herself for constant chakra control…

Kakashi, Yamato and Gai talked over their location, setting up small teams of two to head out into the surrounding areas to conduct search and retrieval missions. Kakashi had to calm Gai down as his expectations got ridiculously high, but the three came to a decision, and prepared themselves for work.

The town they had aimed for wasn't as far away as they had first thought, though the did arrive feeling particularly tired. Kakashi had been letting his guard down too much, having not recognised the steady increase in pace that Gai had been cheekily causing. Kakashi knew there had been a reason Gai was usually at the back of the team when they were younger.

"Now everyone get a good night's sleep, while Yamato and I get some information for tomorrow." Naruto and Lee had of course complained, feeling they could do so much more today. But Gai had challenged them both to a sleep off, and the three were out for the count.

"He is quite something." Yamato would often say, Kakashi laughing at the thought. He had become so accustomed to Gai in the last few years he had forgotten he wasn't normal. Ritsuka would have been so happy they were getting along…

The pair made it to the town leader's home, introducing themselves as the help that had been requested. They had been invited into the leader, Chiduka's, home with such enthusiasm, that Yamato had been a little wary in entering.

"I am so glad you have finally made it here. I was worrying that maybe they had kept you in the north while things got worse in the south." Kakashi felt a little guilt poke at him.

"Well we did spend some time in the north, though we quickly realised that if we were to learn of these creatures, we needed to be situated here in the south." Chiduka smiled widely as he realised that this was a good sign. The shinobi needed to have their wits about them if they were to survive this ordeal. "Can you tell us what we are up against?"

"I can only tell you what I have heard, which isn't much. You must know that the creatures are fairly new to this world, and no one has really had the time to study them. Not that it would be possible to do so if there had been time." His sad smile said more than his words. "Most people die when they come in contact. They are an unstoppable force of evil, and I fear that your attempts may be in vain. But it is better to rid the world of them now, while their numbers are small, than waiting until the threat is at your doorstep, and the world is lost." Kakashi felt a sudden relief that he had finally met someone who understood the seriousness of the situation, who also seemed to have a lot of wisdom. "I have leant my town to the refuges as a stop off point of their journey north. We provide them with food and water and any spare clothes we have. As you can imagine our supplies are running low, and the north refuse to help us. As people go through our town, they speak of such horrors. One woman saw her husband ripped in half, another man saw his wife raped and killed. Children are swarming in, only following the crowds as they have no one else. It is a sad time for the world, and it is hard to see the silver lining. As far as I can tell, the creatures don't care who they kill. They don't seem to have a purpose either. It is like they have been driven mad!" Chiduka took as seat as he physically despaired. "I don't know if I can convey to you just how glad I am to see some help finally coming our way. Even if your chances are only slim." Kakashi felt a defensive urge come upon him. He and his teams will do all the could.

"Don't worry sir. We have some of the most powerful and skilled members of Konoha shinobi in our teams with us. I assure you that none of us will give up until this threat is removed." Kakashi couldn't really recognise his own voice in the haze of everything. He cursed the blonde Hokage for sending him out at such an emotionally raw point in his year.

The pair spoke with some refugees as they made their way back from the leader of the town. The stories were much the same; whole towns and villages disappearing, thousands dead, the unstoppable creatures, the apocalypse… Kakashi was really beginning to wonder if maybe the shinobi of the world were going to see the worst force ever known…

……………………………….

The group ran on through the night, many of the children crying and complaining about being tired and hungry. Kyoya had been surprised when his mother had returned with a convoy of children, but had put the pieces together quickly. He had tried to help as much as possible, carrying the smallest of the group, who was also blind, on his back. He grew tired quickly however, and his mother relieved him of his burden. He wanted so much to help but he frustratingly was just hindering her.

He had found himself close to loosing his temper with a couple of the kids when they kept complaining about things that his mother could not help, but he kept himself under control if only to keep the peace and make things easier for his mother. Soon his mother had stopped the group, looking quite tired herself. She made a fire and let all the kids rest, keeping an eye out on their surroundings. The creatures thankfully were not very clever, and were very loud when they approached anywhere. They could however get to very fast speeds, and would catch the group within hours if they could track. Too much was unknown about these creatures, the girl finally concluded frustratedly as she picked at the bark of the tree she was leaning against.

A couple of hours past and Kyoya woke to find the sun was now fully raised. He searched the camp for his mother, but couldn't see her. The faint sound of a sob caught his attention and he looked towards the source of the sound. The sight of his mother wiping tears from her eyes in a nearby tree pulled uncomfortably at his heart. He had never seen his mother cry before, and he had been wondering whether she had the ability to. But now he knew she was as human as he had suspected, whether she was in denial about it or not. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, his confidence in her shaken slightly. He had looked up to her so much, placed her on such a high pedestal that it was almost painful to see her falter. He knew it was selfish, but he immediately regretted seeing the tears. She was meant to be a perfect superhero, someone he aspired to be, but now he realised, she was just like everyone else… how could he aspire to be normal?

"Are you alright, Mother?" he whispered, hoping not to wake the others. She jumped down from her perch and smiled brightly, no sign of sadness on her face.

"Of course I am! Shouldn't you be resting?" her voice was hiding emotion in it and Kyoya hated it when she lied to him. But they both knew that Kyoya knew, but yet his mother was adamant she was going to keep her pretence going.

"Couldn't sleep surprisingly..." Kyoya seemed bothered, so his mother hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry I can't make this better. But I will be here for you, even if it doesn't seem like it at times. I love you..." His mother trailed off, the feeling of failure seeping in. Kyoya hugged her tighter, his cheeks flushing at her words. What had he been thinking! Of course she was human, and it was because of things like this, the way she held herself in front of others compared to the crumpled mess she was inside, the way she constantly seemed upbeat, even though she knew that everything was going to shit no matter how happy she pretended to be, the way she took on the problems of the world, and didn't seem to waver under it's pressure… that was what made her a superhero, not her untouchable persona that she kept up. It was the fact that she did feel, she did hurt, and she did get depressed and scared, and she still pulled though, smiling and saying just the right words, or doing just the right things. The way she could pick people up and dust them off, send them out into the world again a new person, make their lives that bit more bearable. And all through this, she felt, and empathised beyond all knowledge. Kyoya realised for the first just how amazing she really was, and smiled as he realised she was even better than the untouchable superhero he had previously believed her to be.

"Yeah, yeah I know..." he muttered embarrassment clearly evident in his voice "love you to..." he added quickly, hoping no one was watching this. His mother laughed, ruffling his already tousled hair.

"Good to hear it!" she stood back to her full height and looked about the area. They really should be heading soon, or even better, now. The wind was picking up and the rain was starting up again. If they didn't get to some proper shelter, they were going to suffer badly. Plus, now that the sun was up, they could make major progress. So with that decided she woke everyone up, ignoring the pleas for a five more minutes, and the curses that were made. She had to be strong, even if she was dubbed a slave driver.

The group moved off again, heading towards the nearest town. There would be no way that the creatures would make it before them. Well, that's what she kept telling herself anyway.

………………………

Meanwhile, Kakashi and his team were still being informed by the public of the sightings they had made. The physical description seemed to be varied from ninjas - but with black skin - to great huge monsters that were ten foot tall with seven arms and three heads. Kakashi rubbed his forehead protector to get rid of an itch under it. He had been sat down for so long that he wasn't sure if his legs were going to work anymore. It was like a déjà vu…

The meeting was finally over and the teams could now go out and do some investigating. The sun was high in the sky, signalling that it was late into the afternoon. Kakashi gave everyone partners and sent out tasks for them to do. Each couple to a different village, each with a nin dog so as to keep information flowing between the groups. And they set off towards their destinations, determination and adrenaline flying through their veins.

The teams would receive the same descriptions of strange sightings, though these ones were more accurate and seemed to be the same throughout the area. These were definitely the people who had actually seen the beasts, rather than the people who had heard of but claimed of have been their.

Kakashi had been working on his own with Pakkun by his side when they came across a deserted village. The smell of old blood and dampness hit them like a wave washing over them. Kakashi covered his mask with his hand, hoping to stifle the smell. Damn his keen senses… He checked some of the houses as he made his way towards the middle of the village, finding nothing but blood stains and broken objects. His heart fell as he came across a mound a bodies, all tied together in a mesh work of sticks and spears.

Pakkun reported the findings to the other nin dogs, his knowledge causing upset amongst the teams. A warning of keeping guard up passed out as well.

As Kakashi searched some more houses, Pakkun felt a familiar but comforting scent pass by him. He followed it a bit trying hard to place where he had smelt it before. His face was screwed up in thought when Kakashi emerged from another building, shaking his head sympathetically.

"Didn't stand a chance..." he muttered quietly before noticing Pakkun's strange behaviour. "Pakkun? You got something there?" Pakkun jumped slightly, so lost in thought that he had forgotten his friend was even there.

"um... I'm not sure. I recognise someone who was here not so long ago. I can't place the scent to who it was though." Kakashi raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as Pakkun sat in thought. The sun was beginning to set now, and Kakashi was wanting to get back together with the rest of the teams before it got to dark. It was said that the creatures did most of their work in the dark, and they wanted to stop them for causing more deaths.

"Pakkun, I think we need to go now, I'm sure it will come to you when you aren't thinking about it so much." the small dog nodded, though felt the answer was not so far out of reach.

The two made there way back towards the big city, Pakkun coming across the scent now and then. He was glad that the scent seemed to be leaving, meaning the person was likely to be alright. All the way back, the small dog pondered upon his predicament, growing more and more frustrated. It was on the tip of his tongue...

Kakashi relayed the plan to the teams, informing each person of their duties for the night. The groups were to spread out again as follows: Kakashi with Sakura and Neji, Gai sensei had set off with Lee and Ten Ten, Yamato with Naruto and Hinata and Shikamaru with Ino and Choji, and Sai having Kiba and Shino. The rest had arrived earlier in the day when the teams were out investigating There jobs were to find any traces of the creatures from their findings, and if possible to find the source.

The night was cold, windy and rainy again, causing the teams search to be a little harder than first hoped. Kakashi and Sakura made their way through the forests towards the nearest village to the one Kakashi had been at earlier. Pakkun had followed, insisting he wanted to find out who's scent he had picked up. It was now bothering him so much that he had grown grumpier than usual.

The three stopped at the nearest village, glad to see it had been untouched by the creatures. The village seemed to be alert and ready. They must have been notified of the nearby attack and were preparing. Kakashi sighed inwardly at their attempts, knowing that they probably knew they were going to die like the others.

On approaching Pakkun seemed to perk up.

"The scent?" Kakashi asked quietly as they approached the entrance or the village. Pakkun nodded slightly, lost in concentration. Kakashi watched as he wandered off. The dog had been acting very strange the past day, this scent had really gotten to him. Maybe it had stirred something in him? Kakashi shook his head before turning back to the task at hand. The villagers seemed to be very guarded at first, not sure if the creatures had changed into real life shinobi to trick them, but soon let them in peacefully, accepting their help gratefully.

Kakashi found himself a post on top of a house. He could see very far ahead and when Pakkun came back he would have him and a few others doing some scouting in the forests.

**Herro! oooo so close to my 3000 mark, but hey im gettin there! so yes the story is not not going to split anymore, i dont think... **

**Will Pakkun ever find the source of the annoying scent? and will Kakashi find out what these creatures are?**

**It feels weird doing this cliffhanger talk hehe, but tune in again to find out!**

**what fun, well thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Meanwhile, Pakkun had found himself wandering about in the village. Apparently the person that the scent belonged to had been at every door of the village, which was made his search that bit more frustrating. He grew irritated as he followed it, weaving in amongst people, trying separate all the smells. He had long since remembered who it was, but had kept it hush from Kakashi, just in case he was wrong. Kakashi would have been devastated if he had brought him up to be knocked down again. It had been hard enough to get him out of his depressing rut all those years ago. He wasn't sure his poor, dear friend could take much more. The scent seemed to be getting stronger, which filled him with a greater hope. He had to be close by now, surely. Kakashi would be so happy if it was who he had remembered it to be…

And just as he thought it, he saw a group of children sitting around a fire with a woman no older than 28 walking around telling an exciting tale. The children's faces were lighting up as she acted out some of the scenes of her story, laughing as she joked and giggling as she tickled random ones a she passed. Her enthusiasm and attention to detail had them all in rapture at her tail, forgetting for just that little while all the horrible things that had happened. One boy with an uncanny resemblance to Kakashi sat outside the circle, watching the kids with a small smile on his face. Pakkun felt his heart thump harder, his excitement getting the best of him. She looked exactly like Ritsuka, and her soothing voice rolled over him comfortingly. Oh how he had missed her touch. Without thinking he ran to the group desperate to talk to her, his legs only just keeping up with him.

Ritsuka turned, surprised to see a small dog make its way excitedly towards her group. She smiled slightly as she caught him in mid jump, his tongue hanging out and his tail wagging.

"You're a wee cutie aren't you?!" She tousled his head, moving his ears from side to side "Are you lost?" she asked sweetly, her smile warming Pakkun.

"Ritsuka!" he happily said, forgetting they were surrounded. Nin dogs were to remain silent around non shinobi, so as to keep them from being alarmed at such a thing.

"How did you-? You know my name?" Ritsuka seemed shocked, and slightly amused by the whole scene. "You can talk?!" She giggled again in amazement, lifting Pakkun up above her head so as she could inspect him further. Silence loomed as the realisation hit Pakkun like a ton of bricks landing on him. She couldn't remember him! Did that mean she had forgotten everything?!

"You don't remember do you? Kakashi is going to be in bits..." he muttered the end more to himself than anyone, but Ritsuka seemed to recognise who he was talking about. That was a good start!

"That name! I... I was told to look for him... that he would help me remember. Hatake Kakashi." Any hope of Ritsuka even remembering her true love was dashed. Pakkun found himself wondering if he should tell his friend, but knew that he would have to no matter what. Even though it would crush his friend…

"Yes. He is here with me. I can take you to him now." Pakkun seemed rather depressed now, and Ritsuka felt a bit to blame. She hadn't meant to insult the poor thing, or upset him. They must have been close somehow.

"I should know you shouldn't I?" her apologetic tone made Pakkun almost flinch. Her look of deep regret made his frustration leave slowly, his original excitement returning in its stead.

"No matter. I'm sure it is not your fault. Now I think we really should-" but he was cut off as he heard Sakura cry out her warning.

"They're here!" Ritsuka had put Pakkun down gently before turning to her group. In a flourish she was shouting out her orders and arranging the group.

"Get your things, and let's go." she turned back to Pakkun who had pawed her leg for attention. He couldn't just let her go! "I'm sorry but I think this meeting will have to wait to a later date. As much as I would love to, I can't afford to put these kids in danger." she gestured towards her ever growing group of children, their expectant faces and fearful eyes waiting desperately for Ritsuka to do something. "I just keep getting more and more..." she muttered more to herself. Pakkun sighed, finding himself in a tough spot. If he told Kakashi, then he would be so happy, but would he be able to concentrate if the fear of losing her again hung over him. Pakkun decided to wait until this particular encounter with the creatures was over. Then he would explain everything to Kakashi.

The two parted company, and Ritsuka dashed off with her group huddling round her frightened. Pakkun ran towards Kakashi, ready for action.

The creatures ran towards the village, their arms high above their heads menacingly. Kakashi and Sakura went out to meet them with a fury of jutsu, knocking the group back violently. The two were relentless in their destruction of the creatures as they approached in their great numbers, their shrieks and cries bone chilling. A few got passed the brilliantly synchronised pair, but that was expected since there were just so many of them. The villagers readied themselves, fear evident in their faces, but determination shining through.

Ritsuka headed through the back entrance of the village, her twenty odd children filing out silently. Some were looking back, hoping to catch their parents' eye in a last plea for them to leave, but were left to leave disappointed.

Kakashi and Sakura continued their onslaught, their efforts proving to be of much use. The group of creatures suddenly ended, allowing the pair to take a breath. They returned quickly to the village and helped out with the last of these foul beasts. The situation was dealt with surprisingly fast, the creatures proving rather difficult to kill for the average person, but quite easy for a shinobi. They didn't seem very bright at all, though they were a terrible breed. It was their numbers that would make them so impossibly hard to beat.

The chaos calmed slightly, and most of the villagers were left alive. The mess was cleaned up and people went back to their homes, as if this was just another night in the southern plains of the east.

Kakashi took his post back up, wiping himself clean. He took a couple of samples of the gooey blood, or what he presumed to be blood, from his clothing and bottled it for further analysis back in Konoha. Pakkun jumped up beside him, rather uncomfortable with the conversation that was about to unfold. Kakashi looked over at him with a triumphant smile, though Pakkun didn't return it.

"You look rather pensive friend. Did you find who you were looking for?" Pakkun coughed and readjusted his sitting position. Kakashi was so receptive, it was annoying at times.

"Yes" he muttered. "I... she… Kakashi..." Kakashi raised an eyebrow, unsure of why his friend seemed so torn up. He turned himself to show that he was listening, his eyes still no and again roaming the lands ahead. And then it dawned on him.

"A she? Is she okay?" Kakashi had sat up now, interest filling him. A small flicker of hope was inside of him as he thought of Ritsuka. He would give anything to have her with him again. After all… her body was never found. He had been looking for years, was this the world finally changing its course for him, changing for the better? He didn't want to be alone anymore. He didn't want to forget.

"Listen to all I have to say before you act." was all the warning he got before Pakkun told Kakashi of his find. He explained everything; the way she still had a brilliant ability with kids, her great story having all her children laughing at such a time of depression. He also told him of the boy, telling him of his speculations. Then he finally explained loss of memory, which had Kakashi's hopes torn from him violently.

"So she doesn't remember anything? So it's like I never existed to her?" Kakashi had tried so hard not to sound as upset as he was. He cursed the world and its cruel ways, rage filling him as he wondered why it was never just simple.

"Yes, but I'm sure it will be reversible, I mean she had been told by someone that you could help. He must have known the situation between the two of you, and obviously thought that her memory could be returned... no?" Kakashi seemed unconvinced as he lay back down.

"So she's gone again?" Pakkun nodded but laughed slightly. He knew Kakashi wasn't really thinking, probably lost in his depression spiral that seemed to take over when Ritsuka was mentioned.

"I can follow her scent when you're ready." Kakashi nodded, finally remembering that Pakkun had found her before and could fine her again. He sat in deep thought for a few moments.

She was alive! He knew it! He had searched all over for years, never giving up. Though he didn't do it directly, he would always ask around villages and places he was on missions in if they had seen her, carrying a picture of her around with him everywhere as a reference, and for him to look at during tough times. He would have to look at it tonight. This was definitely a tough time… Maybe it wouldn't be so painful now.

"We shall finish what we set out to do here first. I'm sure we can catch her at the next village." He sighed sadly as he stared into the sky. How he wanted to go now, touch her soft skin, smell her unexplainable scent, kiss those plump lips and stare into her beautifully captivating eyes… but knew his responsibilities to these people were his priority. He had managed to convince the head of the village that they should evacuate until this problem had been solved, and they were to set out the next morning. Pakkun agreed that this was of course the best plan of action.

The next morning thankfully came without another incident from the creatures. Kakashi jumped down from the roof of the house he had been watching from and headed into the village square. Everyone had packed up and readied themselves for the move, and Kakashi explained their course of action. They were to go along picking up as many other villages as possible until they reached the main city, sticking to the forests and remaining out of sight as much as possible.

After all was explained, the group moved on, slowly but surely through the forests. Kakashi was desperate to catch up to Ritsuka, but knew she had had a huge head start. Pakkun talked of her a lot on their journey, explaining how she looked thinner than she should, how she seemed a lot more tired, and he had picked up from her scent that she was very sick. He told him of how her hair was much longer, almost down past her hips. He also spoke of when she had smiled, it hadn't reached her once alive and vibrant eyes, which now held a deep sadness and emptiness that had hurt Pakkun just to think about. He continued to tell him about her skin, which was now so pale that he was sure she wasn't eating right, and hadn't been for a long time. Kakashi really didn't want to hear about any of it, but wished that he had had the chance to see it all himself there with Pakkun, so he could have warmed her with an embrace, fed her with the bread he had in one of his pockets in case of midnight hunger. Told her that everything would be alright, and that she didn't have to be alone and sad anymore. The account of Ritsuka's physical well being had seemed to bring Kakashi crashing down from his short period of hope.

The next village loomed ahead, and the pace of the villagers picked up. They had been travelling all day and the sun was beginning to settle. The village had been waiting for the groups to appear and had made space for them all. It was a bit cramped, but more people meant a better chance of survival, especially with a shinobi on their side.

Pakkun's nose twinged as he picked up the familiar warm scent again. He dashed off before Kakashi could speak, speeding off towards Ritsuka.

She was surprised but very pleased to see him, outstretching her arms in preparation for his jump. Pakkun noticed she was far more tired looking than he had first thought. After jumping into his arms he asked her to follow him. He had to get her to Kakashi before anything else got in the way. Kakashi needed this. Ritsuka followed excitedly, though her hands shook with nerves. She had often wondered who this Hatake Kakashi was, wondering if he was maybe the father of Kyoya. She hoped so. She also hoped that he was very beautiful and kind, though she was sure he must have been to make Kyoya so handsome. She had been searching for this Kakashi for almost a year now, and here was a talking dog leading her to him. It was all too quick somehow…

Her heart stopped when she set eyes on the back of the grey haired shinobi. Her mind went on overdrive and a number of flashing images passed through her thoughts. None of them made any sense, the vivid scenes crashing together too much to be pieced together. The pain that came along with them had her falling far behind the racing dog and onto her knees where she clasped her hands to her forehead, pushing hard on her temples as she tried to stifle a sob. What in the hell was going on?!

A cry came from behind them, signalling another attack from the creatures. Ritsuka who was now thoroughly frustrated, shouted her apology to Pakkun who still hadn't noticed she was missing. She ran towards her group of children, shouting for them to stick together, pushing herself through the crowd with her head still throbbing. Her legs were like jelly as she stumbled to and fro, but she pushed on.

Kakashi turned to see the brown hair of a rather thin and staggering Ritsuka running towards some children, his heart thumping wildly. He cursed his duties as he ran towards the commotion, glancing now and again in the direction Ritsuka had left in. Maybe if he could catch her eye, everything would be better.

The creatures had come in a much larger group this time, causing Sakura to voice her thoughts and curse loudly. In all the panic Kakashi found himself wading through groups of people to get to the gates. He began tearing his way through dark ugly creatures that hacked and swung in his direction. He took down as many as possible, but the creatures seemed to have learned his plan of attack. The group split, and some came in from the sides and were making their way round the back. He silently pleaded for Gai's team to turn up, since they were meeting here tonight. The other's were still rounding up nearby villages.

His heart skipped a beat as he saw a small child walking out towards some of the creatures. Tearing his way through the creatures to get to him, he found himself running out of time. The boy was scared, his hands over his head covering his ears for protection. Kakashi tried as hard as he could, but there was no way he was going to make it on time. On approaching the boy he saw Ritsuka bound out from the village, kicking and pushing her own way through. She had reached the boy before him, curling up over him to protect his small frame from the onslaught of beatings that the creatures delivered with their sticks and make-shift spears. Kakashi continued to push his way through, killing all in his path. He drove the creatures back from Ritsuka and the boy with wide based jutsu, continuing to destroy those he met. Ritsuka seemed to struggle to get up from the ground, but she managed to pull herself to her feet. She nodded her thanks to Kakashi, blood dripping from her shaking body. Pain filled her mind as she looked at his eyes, visions and blurred images assaulting her. She suddenly dashed off with the small boy, bringing Kakashi back to his senses.

**Herro! and even closer again! One day I'll have that 3000! XD **

**So another frustrating chapter of will they won't they... i know it's getting old but it's all in the name of art! XD so i hope you guys are still liking it and thanks for poppin in again! XD**

**See you next chapter! **

**Peace! **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

He fought through as many as he could, but found himself to be rather outrun. There constant bombardment was proving to be pushing him to his limits, though he was used to going beyond that. He used all the jutsu he could muster, sending the creatures back in wave upon wave. He had quickly learned of their extreme dislike for water, and immediately used it to his advantage.

And just when things seemed to be getting that bit tougher, Gai and his team had finally turned up just in time to help finish them off.

The village, however, wasn't doing so great and was in terrible ruin. Parts of buildings were falling from great heights, wholes in the walls and roofs, people pulling each other from numerous piles or rubble. Thankfully, nothing was unfixable, thanks to Yamato's great skills... Kakashi did what he could with rescuing trapped villagers and offering his advice before going off in search for Ritsuka. He had to see her no matter what, god dammit! He was running out of time!

Ritsuka sat on the ground in a small shed, Kyoya bandaging up as many of her wounds as possible. He never wanted to have to do this again. He hated seeing her in so much pain, made his blood boil with frustration at the world. He looked at the rest of the group who were huddled around the room, all looking at their protector with worried expressions. She was the rock, the strong point to their hope, the focus of their survival. Seeing her in such a mess had put everyone into a quiet frenzy. Kyoya could only do so much, he couldn't imagine how his mother had lasted so long…

"Common mum... it's going to be fine. Just stay with me yeah?" her son's optimistic voice soothed her as she felt her body writhe in pain. The small boy from earlier clung onto her shirt as if his life depended on it, and remained so even when Kyoya desperately tried to pry him off. "Tidas! Let go!" But the boy's iron grip wouldn't let up.

Ritsuka tried desperately to hold her mind together. She could feel barriers and black spots tearing painfully in the far corners of her thoughts, faceless memories beginning to make more sense. Though she was quickly wishing she could forget it all again. So many horrible images…

She stared pathetically at her hands, blood soaking them as she looked up into the eyes of a man she frustratingly knew she should know. His eyes were kind and sympathetic, his desperation but acceptance of his death heart wrenching. Who had he been? She could tell that she meant a lot to the man, but she had no idea who he was… which made guilt well up inside of her. A boy lay not to far off from him, obviously dead with his vacant eyes staring unseeingly into the sky… something stirred uncomfortably inside, her chest and throat clamping painfully as tears tore at the back of her eyes.

Her surroundings were changing, a much younger silver haired shinobi rubbing and cuddling her, apologising profusely as his fingers pulled through her hair soothingly. She revelled in the heat provided, her hands still seeming to be stained with crimson. Most of her memories seemed to be tainted with crimson…

Again things went blurry as more death and destruction pushed through her mind. Faint images of people she knew, but couldn't place taunting her as they disappeared out of her reach, like a dream. The harder she tried and the faster she grabbed, the less she could remember…

There was a rustle at the door as someone looked in. Kyoya jumped to his feet, fear swallowed down as he grabbed the nearest chair and attempted to lift it. There was no way he was letting anyone ruin how far he and his mother had come. No way! These basterding creatures were just going to have to get lost or he would kill them! He could feel his survival instincts kicking in violently, but quickly dissipated when he looked at the nervous looking shinobi, his eye curved up to indicate a smile.

"It's okay. I'm an old friend of Ritsuka's." He began to shuffle his way through the doorway as he continued to introduce himself. "My name is Hitake Kakashi." He didn't wait for a reply from the boy as he walked over to Ritsuka who was now whimpering loudly in pain, her back against the table leg for support. "Ritsuka? You okay?" his hand gently touched her cheek, making Ritsuka's mind go crazy. Image upon random image came to her again in a flash of excruciating light, things she had never seen before, but due to experience with such things, concluded they were probably memories that were whooshing through her mind, memories of things she wasn't sure she would ever understand. All she knew was that if this man didn't stop touching her, she might die from agony or brain damage. More pain racked through with them like before, but more burning followed, causing her to double over and almost scream. Her body convulsed with an effort to remain as still as possible to lower the pain, but her efforts were all in vein. Tears fell from her eyes as she tried to control herself, but the images kept coming, most of them including the silver haired shinobi currently touching her face. It was getting too much.

"Hitake-" she was cut off as another wave of pain hit her, making her groan loudly. His name had felt so natural when she had said it, memories of her using this as his nickname at times when she knew it would annoy him. This almost made her smile… almost. Kakashi dropped his hand, worry setting in, though hope played at the edges that maybe she was remembering. Without another moment wasted on wondering what could be hurting her so much, he picked her up bridal style, causing another wave of pain to rush through her weakening body, and took her outside, her muffled cries pushing him on in his determination. Kyoya followed closely, making sure he didn't do anything that Ritsuka wouldn't want.

Kakashi rushed through the town, weaving through the many villagers that seemed to caught up in their own grief to notice his desperate need to get through. He eventually stopped in front of a pink haired girl who seemed already busy with healing.

"Sakura! She's really badly hurt and-" Kakashi hesitated, checking himself for showing his feelings, not sure what his next words were going to be. None of his team had known about his past with this girl, and Sakura's understanding might not be there.

Sakura continued to work as if she hadn't heard him, her hair all ruffled and out of place, a real look of stress on her face. She smiled, clearly annoyed at her sensei, still not looking up at him as she gestured to all the other people waiting for medical expertise.

"I don't know if you had noticed, _sensei,_" the emphasis on his title unnerved him a little, "but I am rather busy with such things!" her teeth ground as she made a physical effort to calm herself. She sighed as she moved on to her next victim, fatigue obvious from her hunched figure. Kakashi made to go on, but the piercing look that he received from his student had him stopping in his tracks, but only for an unnoticeable second.

"You don't understand, I think it's really serious, so much blood loss and she won't stop crying out, and…" _to loose her again would just be the end of me I think…_

Sakura saw the worry in her former sensei's eyes, and a sense of deep uneasiness settled in. The love and pain mixed in his eye, the only place where Kakashi ever let emotion show. But she had never seen him as raw and torn as this before. If the situation had been different she may have poked fun at him, but as it was…

"I'll get right on it. Just put her over there." she pointed to a space on the ground, assuring him that everything would be alright. Kakashi placed Ritsuka down gently, not daring to ask what had changed her mind so quickly. He took a firm hold of her hand, and sat on the ground next to her protectively, a position he had resumed rather a lot with the kinouchi. She really was always one for trouble.

The boy who had been following them sat down on the other side of Ritsuka, staring at her intently as if willing her to spontaneously fix. The all to farmilureness of his actions had Kakashi wondering if this was not the first time she had been so broken since she had gone missing all those years ago… Knowing her, probably not…

"So what's your name?" Kakashi asked, taking the boy's, and his own attention off of Ritsuka's twitching body.

"Kurosaki Kyoya." the boy muttered, causing Kakashi to gasp slightly. He knew there was something about the boy, something had clicked, but he had been far too lost in Ritsuka to notice... he was staring at his own flesh and blood…

Their son.

"This is your mother?" Kakashi questioned, nodding his head towards Ritsuka. He had to be absolutely sure before he got himself all worked up. The boy simply nodded, moving away a hair that had fallen into Ritsuka's eye. Kyoya then remembered that his mother seemed to remember this man, calling him the name of the person they had been searching for. He tried to structure an appropriate and non-intrusive question, but found his mouth opening without his consent.

"Who are you?" the silver haired shinobi smiled back awkwardly, not really sure what to say. Diplomacy was best here.

"I'm an old friend of your mother's."

"Were you close?" Kyoya had become very hopeful. Kakashi could see things matching up in the boys mind.

"Yes. We were."

"How close?" this had been the man who was meant to fix his mother's memory. Kyoya just had to know who he was and how she knew him. Maybe he would know his father, or maybe he was his father. The crazy hair that seemed to be annoyingly genetic, his hitai-atae over his left eye, just like Ritsuka had seen in her dreams…

"Very. We were... um..." Kakashi was cut of when a rather flustered looking Sakura came to join the three. She started mumbling to herself immediately, rhyming off her thoughts before she had even begun.

"She looks to be in a pretty bad state." she merely said as she opened Ritsuka's eyes, checking for any dilation in the pupils. "Strange..." she muttered as she continued her check. After sighing a few times, she set to work, using her chakra to heal some of the girl's major wounds. She then turned to Kakashi and explained. "She seems to be in a state of shock. Her mind seems to have shut down for the moment. Why? I'm not sure..." Sakura seemed genuinely puzzled by the girl's symptoms. "Though her physical condition is most worrying. Her body is starved of food and water, her muscles are damaged and she seems to be suffering from a severe illness involving her lungs. I would need to spend more time to work out what. She seems to have a lot of infected wounds which aren't helping either… So many scars…" The list went on as Kakashi felt himself slump. He should be used to this of course, but she was just so "death warmed up" looking that Kakashi was beginning to doubt she would survive this time. But she had to! He didn't wait four years of bloody torture to lose her when he had only seen her for a few moments. He hadn't even told her that he had loved her, even when they were together… He looked over at Kyoya and saw his eyes filling up. The look of terror on his face had him putting his hand on Sakura's shoulder and giving her a look that made her stop in mid diagnosis. "But I'm sure she'll pull through!" she quickly added, hoping to bring the boys spirits up a bit.

"I told her to be more careful…" Kyoya managed to get out before he sucked in a big breath and held it to stop himself from crying. Kakashi was by his side in a couple of seconds, letting Sakura do what she could for Ritsuka. He placed his arm around his shoulder tentatively, hoping the boy wouldn't flinch away. To his surprise, Kyoya turned his head quickly to bury it into Kakashi side, sobs racking through his small frame. Kakashi held him there until he slowed and calmed himself, offering his comforting words now and then. He had missed out on so much of Kyoya's life that he found himself a little annoyed that he hadn't looked even harder. He had probably just missed them god knows how many times.

Kyoya tried to apologise on many occasions through the tough night, but his eyes just wouldn't let up on their onslaught of tears. What was wrong with him? The pink girl had said everything would be alright, hadn't she? He pushed the thought that she was just saying that to comfort him to the back of his mind. He wanted desperately to talk to the man they had been searching for, for the year.

"Okay. Kakashi, I think we should move her inside somewhere to get her out of this drizzle. Her condition is worsening slightly, and I think heat is the best thing for her at the moment." She smiled reassuringly as she ruffled Kyoya's hair, the only action she could think of doing. Kakashi nodded as he untangled Kyoya carefully from his arms, and picked Ritsuka up gently, wincing when she cried out in agony. Sakura was all over her again, confusion evident in her face.

"Sakura?!" Kakashi was really going to have to check himself with all this raw emotion kicking around.

"I just… I thought she was out cold, but she's responding to pain… It should be fine, just an overreaction." Sakura smiled that assuring smile again, and dashed off to help elsewhere. "I'll check on her again in a couple of hours. Lots of heat, remember!" She called over her shoulder as Kakashi headed towards the wooden house that Yamato had constructed for the teams to stay in.

"Alright Kyoya, you want to head in first?" Kakashi gestured towards the closed door, and Kyoya pushed his way through quickly. He held the door wide as Kakashi manoeuvred himself and Ritsuka's limp body inside successfully. "Now if you just head on up those stairs to the left, that's where we're going. Kyoya shot ahead, keen to help out in anyway that he could.

Kakashi walked across the upper floor and kicked a set of sheets with his foot, so that they sprawled out, expertly. He then, as gently as possible, placed Ritsuka on the bed spread. Tucking her in tightly he pointed over to the corner where a pile of bags were sitting.

"The one on top there, could you bring it over?" Kyoya was over and back in seconds, Kakashi's bag in his hand. "Thanks." Kakashi rummaged about before pulling out a couple of jumpers and a very tiny rolled sleeping bag. He sat Ritsuka up carefully and pulled the jumper over her head. She whimpered softly, her eyes screwing shut in pain. He didn't pull her arms though as he folded her under the covers of the sheets again, unzipping his sleeping bag and adding it to the layers.

"Kakashi? Is she going to be -" Kyoya couldn't finish his sentence. It was too painful to hear it go any other way. Kakashi smiled sadly as he looked at the still shivering and pained Ritsuka.

"If there's one thing I learned from Ritsuka, it's that it's not how you get knocked down that matters, it's how you get back up again. How you face the world after it has done so many wrongs to you. She hasn't failed yet, and as long as we look after her, I'm sure she'll pull through. You must have experienced her stubborn nature, even if she has forgotten herself." Kakashi was rubbing her cheeky softly with his finger tips, revelling in the contact. The electricity that soared through him almost had him shed a tear. Kyoya's giggle had him caught off guard.

"She is ridiculous!" He smiled happily as he sat down on Ritsuka's other side, a deep happiness filling him at the scene before him. Ritsuka had found someone who would look after her and treat her the way she deserved at last. It had been a long time overdue, that was for sure. "You know I'm surprised she hasn't killed us both with her spontaneous and stupid ideas, which for some reason always work out. And she would just brush all her near death experiences off as if it were normal. I tried everything I could imagine to make her stop and think, but thinking just made things worse." Kyoya laughed again, his eyes streaming from the near hysterics he was in. Oh how he had missed laughing so carefree, without Ritsuka having to force him to with a rubbish joke.

"I'm glad to hear she hasn't changed much." Kakashi was now rubbing his fingers through her hair, gently sorting the tangles out. Her hair was so matted at the back that he couldn't help but feel his good mood falter. "Can she remember anything?" Kyoya looked at the floor as he thought how to explain.

"Well, sometimes. She's had her mind altered on so many occasions that she doesn't really know what's real. She has dreams of memories, or sometimes when she does or says something familiar she gets a headache. Like when we were told to look for you, she was out like a light! Headaches for weeks…" Kyoya shook his head at the thought.

"Told to look for me?" Kakashi had so many questions, and the answers weren't coming clearly or quick enough for his liking.

"A guy named Tetsuya. He always loved her more than he should have for a servant, but if it wasn't for that, we'd still be in that horrible place." Kyoya felt his spine tingle at the horrid memories of the dank and creepy 'home' they had stayed in. "He had saved Ritsuka for himself really, no intentions of telling her the truth. But we got caught… Before he died he told us to search for you. Said you would make everything better." Kyoya didn't seem to upset at the thought of the man's death, which surprisingly calmed Kakashi. Had he been worrying about this potential imposter father?

"How long have you been looking?" Kakashi was eager to learn as much as he could.

"Just over a year?" Kyoya seemed to think about it further. "Yeah. A year and two months almost… It was tough. Getting around without money was hard. Mum stopped in villages a lot to do some labour to keep up alive. Sometimes she would just hunt, and we started to rely on nature to keep us going. That was until she got very sick… It slowed us down a lot. The wet surroundings weren't doing her any favours so she worked more often to get money for inns as we went along. We were stuck in one village for almost three months at one point." Kyoya seemed to be sagging with the mood. Kakashi had a feeling this would be the case for most of the conversation ahead.

"But she got better, right?" Kyoya shook his head.

"No, just hides it better. She still coughs up lumps of blood, and wheezes. The coughing fits still came, and the constant inability to breathe… It's impossible to stop her when she's set you know? She's so impatient. And hated the doctors. They cost too much and she couldn't work for the amounts they wanted and a roof over our heads." Kyoya sighed deeply as he looked around the room they were in. "She just takes it all in her stride is all." Kakashi nodded sadly. He knew this side of her all to well, sometimes felt he needed to slap it out of her, but never would.

"So, does she remember what happened? The night she disappeared?" Kyoya looked puzzled.

"Disappeared? No… she doesn't remember anything before being saved by Tetsuya. Well a couple of days on the lead up to the brainwashing session… but nothing significant. She started dreaming about you a lot though, and tried to piece her life together from what she remembered in the morning, but there just wasn't enough information, you know? I mean, I didn't even know she was my mother until Tetsuya told me…" Kyoya's fists clenched hard until his knuckles turned white. Kakashi couldn't imagine how hard it had been for the young boy to grow up without either of his parents… "I was just a slave boy, who did washing… an orphan that my 'master' had so graciously taken in…" the venom in the boy's words was thick with raw pain, which brimmed in his eyes. "Apparently my parents didn't want me… stupid fucker!" His temper seemed to snap, but was gone as quickly as it had arrived.

"Who did all this?" Kakashi was having a hard time dealing with all of this himself. Trying to be diplomatic and non-intrusive was hard when he was so close to the situation.

"Hitsuna Kentaro." It was strange how on name could change a person. Kakashi felt his heart beat painfully hard, his chest clamp down and knock the breath from his lungs. His mind went crazy at the horrible acts the man could have committed on his precious Ritsuka, the horrible things he could have said to her, the things he could have made her do with his abilities. And then it hit him. He couldn't find her all those years before because she hadn't fought back. She hadn't used jutsu or chakra in any way. Having simply walked away, leaving not trace of her anywhere. Kakashi felt suddenly so foolish that he hadn't searched for Kentaro. It had occurred to him that the boy had never been found, but for him to come back and steal Ritsuka away? It was all so unrealistic, but so perfect. All the pieces filed into place, and he had to leave the room.

Kakashi stood up from the floor, his eyes avoiding Kyoya's.

"I will be back shortly." Was all he uttered before Kyoya found himself surrounded by smoke, and the faint pop of a teleportation jutsu echoing in the room.

***Hides safely behind a wall* Herro everyone! Long time no see? I hope you don't all want my blood spilled on the old floor *que nervous laughter* I am so terribly sorry for the wait. You guys must be so raging... but it's okay! because here is a chapter! all up and shiny new! XD**

**I've just been so busy with uni and drama and blah blah blah that i haven't even had the time to lie down and remember my name. i have also been struggling on how to structure this story, how to relay information and sort out the plot... too many loose ends i have created!! but all shall be well, and im working on the next installment already XD so hopefully a 2 or 3 week waitwill not be necessary... i hopes! XD**

**well i hope you like it XD and thank you for your patience XD**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The night turned to morning as Sakura darted around the villagers trying to fix things. A few had died despite her efforts, causing her moral to drop. She had begun snapping more at people, and Naruto had left with his hands on his crotch and screaming profanities at the girl. Her stress levels had truly been reached, and she was cracking. Ino, who had been helping out since she arrived a couple of hours previously, was also beginning to falter. Soon the two were having a screaming match which had people cowering in fear.

The rest of the day proved to be even more challenging. More people flocked in from surrounding villages seeking the protection of the capital village and its Konoha shinobi guards. Some of course carried sick and injured people, meaning the girls' workload was increased.

"I'm sorry Gai-sensei, but no I can't fix your stupid cut. I'm sure a plaster will suffice!" Gai sat in puzzlement as he received further abuse from the pink kinouchi, wondering when he had asked her to heal him. Was he even talking to her? "Now if you don't mind, I have things to do!" Sakura staggered off, sleep deprivation really taking its tole on the girl. It was time to make a visit to Kakashi's patient that had been worrying about, and she wasn't looking forward to it. So many things were wrong, and she wasn't sure she could fix them all. What if she died as well? Could Sakura take the failure, never mind the constant reminder in her team captain's eye that he will be crushed?

"Sakura? You look knackered." Kakashi had kindly complimented as she entered the upper area of the wooden shelter.

"Thanks!" she chirped mockingly. "She awake?" she wasn't even trying to structure proper sentences anymore. Kakashi shook his head, his hand running softly through the young Kyoya's hair. He was fast asleep, his soft snores adding a strange tranquillity to the room.

"No sign of reaction or pain?" Kakashi shook his head.

"Well, once earlier this morning, her face screwed up a little, but only for a moment." Sakura acknowledged his comment as she sat down on the floor. Her hands were filled with what little chakra she had left, her eyes closed in concentration. She was particularly working on some of the superficial wounds first, doing her best to heal what she could so as to avoid further infection. She un-bandaged some old wounds, tutting at the damage that was awaiting her skills. She grew confused at some of them, a strange blackness forming at the edges, almost like they had been tattooed in place. She had been seeing it a lot over the night, a few ideas coming to her mind, though nothing decisive.

Kakashi sat in silence as he watched his former student work. He had appreciated her skills before hand, but now he was in awe of them. He studied her face closely, trying his best to decipher her reactions. It wasn't looking good…

"You should probably know that she has had some kind of lung sickness for a while now. Kyoya here was telling me of it last night. She coughs up blood regularly, and loses the ability to breathe now and again, with crippling coughing fits as well. I don't know if it helps you any." Sakura looked up at Kakashi, a frown in place.

"For how long?" Kakashi shrugged as he spoke.

"A few months? It's definitely been within the last year." Sakura nodded in acknowledgement again. Things just seemed to be against this girl.

"Who is she?" The question had been plaguing her all night, and her tact had been lost in her tiredness.

"We were…" Kakashi stared off into the room, his eye strained in thought. She had to be close to him, and the boy? Who was he?

"I know the two of you were close somehow. I mean, you don't just walk up to me with girls in your arms all the time, begging me to help them. Usually you let me know where they are, or sit them down with a group or whatever. So how close?" She was pressuring him a lot, and she knew it, but she just couldn't hold back her curiosity. When Kakashi didn't seem to be answering, she continued her interrogation. "And the boy? Kyoya was it? You're looking after him awful closely. I don't mean to invasive, but you're not being yourself. And I would like to know who I'm busting my ass to look after here…"

Sakura felt a little guilty that she had brought it up, and a little annoyed that it had sounded so selfish, but she was pleasantly surprised when he spoke again. "We were lovers a few years back." Why was he telling her this? "This, is our…" Kakashi seemed to peek up at Ritsuka, as if he were waiting for some kind of lecture for his lack of shinobi secrecy. Sakura nodded having placed the rest of the information together.

"Your son!" Sakura couldn't help the shock in her voice. She had him pinned for heartless with a hint of commitment issues… a multi-woman type guy…

"Yeah." Kakashi seemed to be out of things to say. The only reason he had told Sakura was so that she understood the urgency of the situation. So she could understand why he was as desperate as he was. "I'd appreciate it if this was kept quiet, you know…" Sakura nodded silently. She had seen that coming, but felt that he deserved to have his secret.

"I won't tell anyone. But I think they will all work it out with how you're acting." Kakashi nodded in understanding, but didn't seem to bothered. "Does anyone know about it?" Sakura was grateful of the conversation they were having, taking her mind off of the possible death that she might not be able to prevent.

"A lot of people actually. We were together a long time, and Ritsuka wasn't as shy and as secretive as I was. Though she didn't go out preaching about us, she never lied either. I was surprisingly okay with it to be honest. Meant people would stop hassling her…" Kakashi laughed softly at the many memories of Gai's attempts to woe her, his twinkling smile and overly romantic gestures going right over the top of her head. That tended to be the reaction people got with her. She was so clever yet so dense at times…

"How did you meet her?" Kakashi could feel something inside of him burst with longing. It had been so long since he had spoke of his partner that he wasn't sure he could hold himself back.

"Jiraiya became her one to one instructor when she was about 6 or 7. He brought her along to some of my training sessions with the fourth, and so we met there." He had been awful to her at first, and he deeply regretted most of their childhood together. Sakura smiled widely.

"So it is true! I had heard a couple of people hint and mention it, and Naruto was pretty sure too. The fourth Hokage! Man that must have been cool!" She tried desperately to keep her tone happy as she discovered some major illness lurking within the silent girl in front of her.

"It was… frustrating. I was always trying to go faster than he would let me. Though he was the best teacher and shinobi I could have ever met. He pulled me through a lot of dark moments in my life, and taught me things others couldn't." Kakashi stopped explaining when he felt the boy in his arms still and begin to wake. As soon as Kyoya's eyes were open he was by his mother's side looking intently at Sakura. She blushed slightly at the unwavering intent in the boys look.

"Is she better?" his groggy voice seemed strangely calm, though she knew he was worried beyond belief.

"Well, she's still alive, which is the main thing." She couldn't lie to him. What if she died, and Sakura had said everything would be alright? Kakashi would be annoyed as well she would imagine.

Sakura continued to work in silence as Kakashi took the boy off to get him fed. Many sighs escaped from her as she tried to battle with illness, blood loss, and malnutrition, not to mention the black disease like things that clung to the newly open wounds like tar. She would have to send more samples back to Tsunade soon, and hope she would be able to work what it was out fast.

Sakura had begun to fix some of Ritsuka's chakra paths when something didn't seem right. She had sensed and felt congestion and blockages, like you would do when the chakra path had been disrupted, but everything was in tact. There was nothing wrong with them except the odd laceration here and there, but even when those had been fixed, everything was perfect. Yet, where was Ritsuka's chakra flow? Even if shinobi are sleeping or in a coma, they still have a flow. Ritsuka had nothing, like all her chakra was somehow missing, or had been removed. That would explain why she wasn't healing as well as she should have been. And if she had been with Jiraiya, surely she would have shinobi abilities… right? Which would mean she had at some point been able to use chakra? Even Rock Lee had chakra flowing though him…

Oh Kakashi wasn't going to like this.

Sakura then decided to start working on Ritsuka's mind. This was another thing that had stumped her. She had never come across anything like it. A healer would usually feel some kind of tingling vibration, a sign of brain activity, though Ritsuka didn't seem to have any of that either. But her body still responded normally, her moans and wincing in pain, her breathing and repetitive eye movement as she dreamed. None of it made any sense. There also seemed to be severe damage to her memory, and extreme chakra build up. Ritsuka must be experiencing some serious migraines… She had to be extremely careful as she worked. Too much chakra could cause more damage and too little could just irritate what is already there. She needed this to be perfect.

It took a few moments for Sakura to manipulate her chakra to be perfectly shaped and subdued. She was even breaking out into a sweat. Once she had done so, she carefully pushed herself into Ritsuka's mind and probed gently at the damaged area.

Sakura opened her eyes to find herself staring blankly at the ceiling above her, steam and smoke filling her nostrils, and a sharp burning sensation making itself known in her finger tips. But it wasn't these things that caught her attention. The shrill shrieking and screaming of profanities hit her like a tone of bricks, her memory returning quickly. What the hell was that?!

Sakura tried desperately to calm the screaming Ritsuka, the girl's voice going horse as she cried out. Her tear stained face contorted in pain as she pulled herself tighter and tighter into the foetal position. She began to shake and convulse, her body flicking out and pulling back in violently. Ritsuka's hands were pushing fiercely at her ears as she tried to block out the loud screeching that was deafening her from within. Sakura could feel herself panic as she began to scream out for help, her mind running wild at the possibilities of this reaction. She had been so sure that she had been as careful as possible. So sure…

It was Naruto who had come to the rescue, his face a picture of sheer confusion.

"What did you do to her?!" was all he could stand and say. Sakura buried the urge to kill him as she held Ritsuka down to the floor.

"Shut up and hold her down!" Naruto jumped to the girl's side, grabbing her shoulders and planting them firmly to the ground so that she flipped onto her back, and then sat on her legs to still her as best he could. Her screams still pulled from her, her eyes open wide and unseeing.

"What the hell is-" Ritsuka had proven stronger that he had anticipated as she hooked him in the mouth. She was struggling more fiercely now as she fought with her restraints. Desperation was evident as she wriggled and whirled her body constantly, never seeming to get tired.

"Just hold her still while I get her anaesthetised!" Sakura was fumbling with her personal medical kit that she carried on her everywhere, trying desperately not to prick herself with the syringe she had now produced. She pierced the top of the bottle with it and sucked up all the liquid. She prepared herself as she grabbed hold of one of Ritsuka's flailing arms and sat on it, effectively trapping it. She then administered the calming liquid and sighed with relief as the struggles and screams slowed and quietened down.

"Fucking hell!" Naruto exclaimed as he lay down next to Ritsuka, his chest rising and falling with his laboured breaths. "She's psycho!" Sakura frowned at his swearing and inappropriate name calling.

"I just don't understand." she muttered to herself as she tidied away the mess that had been made. "I only touched and she just… man, I don't even remember!" She looked down at the blackened tips of her fingers. Naruto sat up now, concern for her clearly evident.

"Maybe you should sleep on it? Sometimes I find if I can't work something out, it's better to do it with a fresh mind." Sakura nodded slowly, wondering if it was her tired mind that had failed her. But she honestly was stumped at Ritsuka. She had seen memory manipulation before, but never anything like that.

"Yes. I think I will go for a power nap… Naruto? Wake me up in an hour would you?" Naruto nodded as he picked himself up from the floor. "And tell Ino to maybe get Hinato to help today. I don't think I will be much use until I sort this out." She sighed sadly as she looked at the peaceful looking girl across the room. "Oh and tell Kakashi it would be best to keep Kyoya away from her just now. He doesn't need to see that…" Naruto nodded again as he waited for further orders. But Sakura was fast asleep as soon as her head hit to pillow.

**Herro! and again with the lateness... i can't appologise enough... my inspiration and ideas have run dry, and im stuggling a bit (which u might notice). i know where i want to go, but getting there is proving to be quite difficult... stupid brain won't work!! *shakes head violently* so i do appologise for the crapness and lateness... **

**hope your still enjoyin it or if not, hopw ur hanging in there till i get my imagination in gear... XD **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Ritsuka could feel her eyes burn with the pressure of her ever growing rage and frustration. She had been desperately trying to communicate with the people around her, but her body just wouldn't cooperate. Not that she was bored, or had nothing to do. No, of course not. Her memory had of course decided to go mad, lots of little mini movies running through her head at the same time, as if her life was trying to slowly begin to make more sense. And it wouldn't be much fun without the pain that followed now would it? Oh no.

Ritsuka felt her anger flare as more memories returned to her. What in the name of all that was good and kind in this world was going on? She knew she had missed out a lot in the first years of her life, but to really have been through so much pain and depression? Had it really been that bad? She couldn't remember the last memory that didn't have blood in it, though she really couldn't tell the memories apart if she was being honest.

As time went on, she began to wonder if she really wanted to remember. Some familiar faces popped up a lot, there mere presence in her mind causing her physical pain. She could feel a cloud of darkness and desolation pulling its way over her as she tried to run from it.

Surely she had been happy with the silver haired shinobi around her? She could pick out the intense love and adoration she had for him as things went through her mind like lightning, and she revelled in the warmness it would provide, even if it was for only a few seconds. Surely he had been enough?

So why had she left? Why had she started a new life?

None of it made any sense, and she was sure Kentaro had appeared in her memories as a younger boy. So how had he merely found her wandering the forests? Had he tricked her? Or had she gone with him willingly?

A sickness filled her she contemplated that last thought. The memories were now just a back drop to her confused and fully conscious thoughts.

Kentaro had turned out to be a horrible man, with dreams that only sick psychopaths had. The creatures were all his doing. She had seen him.

But why had he turned out that way? There was no way she could have gone off with someone that was like that willingly right? Surely she would have returned to Kakashi. He seemed perfect…

Ritsuka could feel someone touching her body with the warmth and tenderness of chakra. She had felt this type of healing a few times in the couple of years she could remember. She had always been amazed at how quickly it could do things.

She recognised the girl's voice from the night before, and listened intently over the rabble of her memories to her diagnosis. She could hear Kakashi's voice again, and felt a girlish squeal build up inside. She really couldn't have left this man for someone else, it was just impossible!

She had felt a deep sadness when he had left with her son, but knew somehow he would be good with Kyoya. And if Kyoya was going willingly, then he must be trustworthy.

The good old Kyoya test never failed.

Again the tingling sensations of chakra tickled her body as the girl kept working, her constant sighing not helping with Ritsuka's positive attitude. The silence was killing her.

And all too quickly, everything stopped. The girl was still beside her, she could tell, but she wasn't doing anything anymore.

And continued to do nothing for what seemed like hours.

And then it happened.

Ritsuka felt a searing pain through her mind, a giant tear pulling its way across her thoughts. A blinding light filled the space, and everything grew very loud and very violent. Every emotion she had felt throughout her remembering came in tenfold, her depression, her desperation, her emptiness. She could hear pained screaming in the distance, could see millions of images piercing her relentlessly. Every memory held a knife that stabbed her hard and deep, every moment felt like an eternity. She could vaguely feel her body moving, but nothing made sense anymore.

And then everything went very still, and very quiet.

Ritsuka could hear nor see no more.

……………………….

Sakura sat and stared at the test before her. She remembered the days that she wished she could have a challenge again, wished she could solve some seemingly unsolvable puzzle. She had grown so bored of the usual treatments for the usual ailments. But now she regretted every moment.

So she laid down everything she had.

"Okay. First off: Her memories have been tampered with as we already know. The chakra build up is just… phenomenal, and I have ruled out using the usual methods to alleviating it." Kakashi tried his best not to shudder at the thought. He had been informed of the episode and was now doing his best to use his knowledge to help Sakura combat her problem ahead. "Secondly: this tar like substance that seems to be appearing on those who have come in contact with the creatures and been injured by them. I'm still struggling with a cure, but I have sent samples to Tsunade to have a look at. Thirdly: her chest infection is extreme, though not untreatable. The problem is that I don't was to over work her with the little energy she has. I'm worried that to much fixing all at once could put her body into shock and therefore kill her. Fourthly: Despite all my efforts, her wounds have become infected. This again is not untreatable, but it will take time to heal. To be honest, she should really be in hospital. I can do surgical techniques, but I can't do it here. But we don't need to worry about that now, her ribs and legs can wait." She sighed long and hard as she rubbed her eyes. Kakashi felt sorry for the girl, but he needed to keep her going.

"So what can we do now?" Sakura perked up.

"You can tell me what you think is up with her brain?" Kakashi nodded as he pieced together his ideas, only noting slightly the humour in what Sakura had just said.

"Kentaro had an ability to control people. He would use his hand seals to hypnotise a person until his chakra lines entered them through the eyes and ears, sometimes the mouth I would think. He would then manipulate a person, not just on a physical level but a mental one too. He could make you feel and believe things just by speaking what he wanted. It was an incredibly powerful tool. Now, the Sharingan can see the chakra lines, but I checked Ritsuka, and there are none there, just this incredible intense signal in her memory area. So I think he may have advanced his technique, making it so Ritsuka can't remember a thing beyond what he wants her to remember. I can't say for sure if he is still controlling her, but I don't think so. It's not that way active, if you know what I mean." Kakashi shuffled his position on the floor as he continued his thought process. "I was also talking to Kyoya who said she would regularly remember me, through dreams and flashbacks. She would forget that Kentaro had wiped her memory and ask him about me, thus being made to forget again. But then she started to click, and Kyoya had begun to explain each time what was going on. So Ritsuka would right down what she remembered with Kyoya's help so that she could remember even if Kentaro found out she knew things. Kentaro had of course found out and tried to kill Kyoya, but Ritsuka had stepped in, taking a fatal blow, which is that big scar in her abdomen that goes through to her back, and running off. They had help from another who smuggled them out and kept them safe for a year or so. Ritsuka has been piecing things together slowly over the months, trying to look for me. When she saw me, Kyoya said she had been in agony, with images rushing through too fast for her to pick bits out, and apparently she never experienced that kind of pain before, so I think it has accelerated. My guess would be that familiarities will trigger her memories, just like most amnesia." Sakura nodded slowly.

"So do you think we should do this naturally? Just let her memory sort itself out?" Kakashi nodded thoughtfully.

"It might be for the best, especially after what happened earlier." Sakura agreed whole heartedly. She would want to avoid that happening to anyone ever again. "So, do you think she will wake up?" Kakashi was now looking concerned as he fiddled with the corner of his flack jacket, looking much like a nervous child.

"I hope so." Was all the optimism Sakura could offer. "She seems to have been through an awful lot and pulled through, so I don't see why this would be much different." She offered some humour, which was rewarded with a smile from Kakashi, or what she decided was a smile. Stupid mask…

Kakashi then decided to fill Sakura in on the creature problem. Apparently, they had slowed down their attacks, confusion and anger filling them and causing them to turn on each other. But Kakashi didn't think it would last long, and they would surely pull together and continue their almost world domination like plan. Sakura nodded slowly as he continued his findings, trying desperately not to panic. She wasn't sure there was much more of this she could take.

…..

Ritsuka finally woke to find her eyelids exceptionally heavy. As she tried to peer through the pathetic gap she had made, the faint buzz of a migraine tugged at the corners of her mind. Her attempts at seeing had brought attention to someone at her side, and her body tensed as she tried to sense who. A soft hand caressed her cheek, a slight hesitance in there movements as if asking for permission. She felt herself relax a little though she still found it hard to see.

"Are you feeling any better?" the smooth voice of the grey haired shinobi she had been looking for washed over her. The feeling of comfort and safety soared through her body like never before and she found herself longing for his touch, even though his fingers were still trailing her cheek. Ritsuka tried to speak, but the effort just seemed too much. So she took to nodding instead, though she was lying. Of course she didn't feel better. She had finally had a proper sleep and now her body was realising all its aches and pains in full volume. If she hadn't gone to sleep she wouldn't feel so shit.

She herd Kakashi chuckle slightly, relief seeming to emanate from him. Her eyes were beginning to lessen in their weight and she was starting to see outlines of things. Kakashi's silhouette was becoming more clear.

"Sakura says there are a lot of things wrong that are going to take some time fixing. She's been in and out doing what she can. Is there anything you're needing? Water? Some food?" Panic was beginning to seep out in his words, making Ritsuka feel a little giddy. He was worrying about her! Genuinely worried!

"Oh… I'm fine. You don't need *cough, cough* to go to any trouble!" Ritsuka was feeling her energy return slightly, and made an attempt to sit up.

"Hey, hey! Just rest. That was the 'raging' Sakura's orders, if she saw you now... I'll get you some water anyway, 'cause if you're anything like you used to be, you were lying." She could now make out Kakashi's face, or what wasn't covered by his mask. She smiled as she succeeded in sitting up, but grimaced as she felt her stomach rumble much louder than was really needed. And nervous laughter escaped her as Kakashi chuckled softly. "And some food!"

Ritsuka sat and stared at the faraway wall of the room she was currently and successfully sitting in. She had no idea what was going to happen, but she marvelled as she felt so safe and cared for. Kakashi's scent was still in the air, a faint nostalgia creeping over her. She fought back the memories that threatened to ruin her good mood, but found it too overwhelming. The images flooded in, but the pain seemed less. Ritsuka tried to grasp at some of them, but found it all too much.

"Mum!!" her concentration was broken as she felt a solid object smack into her and wrap itself around her quite firmly. If it wasn't for her already placed hand on the ground keeping her upright, she would have probably been sprawled out on the floor painfully.

"Kyoya! I said she was still recuperating. You need to be gentle or not at all." Kakashi's firm and father like voice made Ritsuka's heart swell a little. She looked up at him and found herself filling with the urge to jump and molest him at that point in time, but many factors stopped her from doing so, their son still in the room being rather high up on the list, but not at the top she noted.

"Sorry." He mumbled though his smile was still plastered on his face as he stared at Ritsuka. She was alive!

"He's been so impatient for you to wake up." Kakashi explained, a hint of humour in his voice. "I think he might like you." Kakashi nodded as if agreeing with himself, his eye glinting with mischief. Kyoya laughed as he covered his mouth, his giggle sending Ritsuka into a fit of tears. It had been so long since things had been so light hearted, and she loved it. But how long would this last? She scolded herself for being pessimistic.

_Not long if you keep this shit up!_

Kakashi had placed a cup of water in her hands, waiting until it was completely drained before handing her a bowl of some rather delicious smelling rice. She almost squealed at the thought of eating, picking up the chopsticks clumsily. Her fingers seemed to mock her as she tried desperately to work them. It hadn't been _that_ long since she had used them. The quiet laughter of Kyoya had her frowning at him playfully, though she felt a deep disappointment at being so useless.

"Here." Kakashi had removed them from her before she had a chance to deny him, a blush rising in her cheeks. She felt awful as Kakashi began to feed her, his fingers catching the stray rice that fell onto her chin or covers. In fact, mortified would have been a better word. "I missed that colour." His harmless statement wasn't helping things either…

"Oh I couldn't eat another drop Kakashi… I'm stuffed man." She held her hands up as he continued to try, but she was really going to be sick. Kakashi placed the bowl aside as he lectured her on the importance of eating, but was quickly silenced when Ritsuka's body began to convulse as her hand slapped to her mouth. Sakura had of course anticipated this, and Kakashi handed her a metal bucket to empty her once full stomach into. He rubbed her back softly as he pulled her hair from her face. Kyoya was asking a million questions as he paced the room worriedly. But Kakashi just explained that her body had forgotten how to eat, that was all.

"Forgotten? That's rubbish!" Kyoya protested, feeling Kakashi was trying to stupefy him.

"That's what happens when your body goes into starvation for so long. The body is so used to breaking down what it already has that the stomach forgets what it's like to have food in it. So when you do eat, the weight is too much and the body treats it as foreign, like a stomach bug or food poisoning. Just chucks it out." Kakashi went to get more water as he finished off his speech, Kyoya feeling quite silly for doubting him. It just hadn't sounded scientific, that was all.

Kakashi had proceeded to take very good care of Ritsuka that night, surprised at the carefree nature that still seemed to surround her. Even when she was teetering so close to death's clutches, she would still laugh and smile. Now and again she would throw her hands to her head, complaining of headaches, but the episodes would pass and Kakashi would go back to telling Ritsuka and Kyoya of the kinds of things she would get up to when she was younger.

"Was I really that impulsive?" Ritsuka had asked, completely oblivious to the look of utter shock on Kyoya's face.

"What do you mean 'was I' like you're not now! What is wrong with you?!" Ritsuka blushed again as she felt Kakashi's amused gaze on her.

"She didn't think she was impulsive back then either." Ritsuka was wondering if it was possible for her face to melt if her cheeks got hot enough.

"I'm an opportunist is all! I'm not going to let bad things happen if I can avoid it." Kakashi laughed.

"Nothing's changed!" He exclaimed happily.

**Yey! She woke ups! So things are beginning to a look a bit better in the Ritsuka/Kakashi world, and don'tworry in haven't forgotten about the creatures. I bet your all wondering what the hell I'm on about with them, but patience is a good thing to practice, and i appologise that you are all probably now mastering it due to my slow writing! and again, I am so very sorry. **

**But after this week things should pick up in speed, this being my last week of 1st semester, so just millions of lab reports and assignements to do XD wohoo!! **

**So see you all in the next chapter, and thank you so very much for everyone's constant support! it's been inspiring! and extremely uplifting XD**

**Peace! XD**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Ritsuka sucked in her rage as she fumbled against Kakashi's chest, his comforting arms holding her tightly in their iron grip.

"Don't get frustrated, it will come in time. The fact you are even standing is remarkable according to Sakura. She thought you would need surgery before you could get this far, remember?" His soothing voice washed over her, but failed this time to calm her as much as she would have liked. Walking had once been so easy, now, she couldn't even stand against the lightest of breezes…

"Yeah, yeah I know…" Ritsuka mumbled, her defeatist attitude taking Kakashi by surprise. She had never been so down on herself before… sure she had worked herself to the bone, but she had never shown her anger or frustration at herself. He didn't like it. It was different, and just seemed to be like another piece of evidence that reminded him she wasn't the same Ritsuka anymore, that she had forgotten him completely, and herself so it would seem.

"You have been through so much! You're lucky to be even alive never mind practising to walk again. You should appreciate that your body won't just jump right back into action the way it used to, I mean you don't have any chakra flowing round you to help." He sighed as he felt her pull at his jumper, watched as tears fell from her eyes and began to panic as she slumped against him in a crumpled mess. He was surprised to find that he had even missed her tears despite how much he hated them.

"God, I'm sorry! I don't know what's wrong with me! I haven't cried in so long…" Her mumbled sobs had Kakashi leaning in so he could hear her better, annoyed at the situation and his seemingly uselessness. He was going to kill Kentaro! Very slowly and painfully…

"It will all work out. I'm going to do everything I can to get things back to the way they were, if not, better. Please, don't get upset. I never know what to do when you cry." The smile he offered lifted Ritsuka a little, but for some reason brought a new wave of tears upon her. Her constant flow of jumbled memories didn't help, the raw emotion behind them making it impossible to stay stable around people. It was getting too much, and she was beginning to worry about her sanity. How much more could her mind take before she lost it?

"It's just so hard to… y'know? Everything just flies about in hear," she pointed to her head and started to prod painfully at herself, "all at once, nothing making any sense! I can't concentrate on anything, not even the memories themselves, it's like I'm constantly trying to remember a dream, and everything just gets farther and farther out of reach!" her voice was growing horse as her throat constricted painfully, violent hiccoughs making it hard to speak. Kakashi rested his hand gently on her cheek, raising her head so that she had no choice but to look into his face.

"We will take it one step at a time. Why don't you start writing some of it down? I'll get some paper from somewhere and you can write what you see or hear. I can then see if I can fill in the blanks for you a little better, like a team effort. No matter how little or how embarrassing you think it is, I can probably explain most of it." Kakashi was like a rock in the middle of a rushing river. He just seemed to stand tall and hold himself well, so well that nothing seemed to knock him over. Ritsuka grew slightly jealous, but knew that he would help her, knew that every word he spoke was truth and nothing but.

"Did I ever tell you that you were amazing?" Kakashi's soft laughter had such a euphoric effect on Ritsuka, she wished he would do it more.

"You used to a lot. And over such little things too." His sweet laughter filled the air again, and Ritsuka felt her determination return tenfold. She pushed herself from Kakashi and balanced her body on her feet. She rocked a little in place, but Kakashi's hands were ready for her if she needed him. She breathed in steadily as she lifted one foot from the ground, her other leg wobbling and vibrating dangerously with the pathetic weight it held. Her kneecap quivered uncomfortably as she placed her lifted leg back onto the ground, only a little distance in front, and gasped happily as she was back on two legs again. "See? It just takes time and a little bit of belief!" Kakashi was ecstatic with the progress, even if it seemed so little. "We'll have you racing through the trees like the old days in no time!" Ritsuka beamed with pride, her happy face was all the reward he would ever need.

The muffled eep that left her lips though, as she stumbled sideways back into his chest, had him laughing hysterically as she blushed hard. Things were looking brighter again, or was that just her face?

…..

The attacks from the creatures still seemed to be kept at bay, more and more shinobi appearing from many of Konoha's allied villages. This gave Kakashi plenty of time to help his old lover regain what she could of herself. He had tried and succeeded mostly in interpreting some of Ritsuka's memories, but he found that she was gradually going further back into her life, to parts where he was having trouble filling in. He hadn't realised that she had kept so much from him, about her family. He tried to squish down the small hurt he felt at the thought.

"It just doesn't seem to end does it?" Ritsuka was referring to the many deaths she had witnessed. However she was missing out two very important ones that he was beginning to worry about. He had hoped they would have come to her before all her death memories came, giving her more time to digest, but with it all coming at once now, he was worried she might not be able to handle any of it. "So what happened to my mother then, after she left?" Kakashi was broken from his thoughts.

"No one really knows to be honest. Your father tried again to track her, but she just disappeared of the face of the earth. I'm beginning to wonder if it's a genetic family trait." He laughed softly.

"Oh. And what about this Sano?" Kakashi tried his best to put together what he knew for her.

"Well, Sano, his full name being Sanosuke," Ritsuka cringed at the onslaught of images and memories that unfolded as he spoke, "was your brother. The two of you were very close, though I never actually met him myself when he stayed in Konoha. You spoke of him a lot before he left." Ritsuka couldn't help her curiosity.

"Left? But why?" Kakashi smiled patiently.

"Yes, yes I'm getting to that. You told me once that your brother wasn't allowed to spend time with you for your own good, though you never told me why. I never asked because I was a prick when I was younger -"

"Bollocks! I bet you were lovely! I remember thinking the world of you from the day I met you..." Ritsuka petered off at the end as her face threatened to go on fire with the heat of her embarrassment. She really was impulsive...

"Oh, well, you seemed to see through my crazy pretences, I never understood why you put up with me... but anyway. Your brother had a fight with your parents and they sent him away, told him he was never to see you again and vice versa. Again you never explained why..." Ritsuka was bubbling with questions and she couldn't help them as they burst from her excitedly. She felt like a child.

"Where did he go? Did he ever come back? Is he still alive? Does he think I'm dead? Can we go see him?! Can we, can we? He must be so worried!" Kakashi pressed his hand firmly over Ritsuka's mouth, though it didn't seem to stop her from asking her ever increasing questions and theories.

"Woaw! Give me a second girl! I don't know where he went at first. Jiraiya tried to find him for you but didn't seem to have any luck." Ritsuka felt a deep sadness as she had just recently found out of her old sensei's death. "As for coming back, he did once, but you had been taken by Kentaro by that point. It was a couple of years ago. He dropped in at the Hokage's office requesting to see you. Tsunade told him what had happened, and he was inconsolable. He came to our flat, very drunk, and told me exactly what he thought of me and the things he would love to do to me when he could see straight again. I let him sleep on the couch." Ritsuka's jaw dropped.

"Why was he so mean to you? It wasn't your fault!" Kakashi slumped a little.

"Well, I was all you really had, and I was meant to protect you, and I failed. That's how Sanosuke saw it as well, and he was not happy at all. But the next morning we talked, and I told him exactly what had happened, though he had already heard it from Tsunade. I guess I needed to vent myself. The woman didn't even tell him you were pregnant, so I had to explain all that as well. Sanosuke soon came round and was surprisingly very understanding. He even stayed a couple of days so that I could talk to him, though I didn't really say much. He told me about himself though. He's doing really well. A wife and three children, two girls and a boy. I can't remember their names for the life of me sorry, but I guess I was jealous of him more than anything, and wasn't really intent on remembering the names of all his lucky family. Sorry..." Ritsuka shook her head, urging him to go on. "He is staying just outside the earth country in a cottage I believe, keeping his kids away from the shinobi life. A good idea I thought. I think he taught them how to defend themselves though, not wanting to let his bad experiences affect their survival... and that's all I can remember about him really. It's a bit rubbish I suppose, but you never spoke of him once he had left." Ritsuka smiled, happy with what he had told her.

"So he thinks I'm dead then... I'll need to find him and tell him everything is fine. Maybe I'll remember all the old stuff to." Ritsuka smiled again, her mind beginning to clear if only just slightly. It was kind of like an organised chaos now.

"I have no idea what this one is about." Kakashi pointed to the scribble on the paper he had been reading from. "That must have been a more recent one. And this next one? Not a clue, though I hope it's not as bad as you're remembering..." Kakashi shook his head as he clenched his fist tightly.

Ritsuka nodded slowly, confusion and fear clearly evident. They were pretty horrible.

The night went by very quickly and Ritsuka found herself yawning a ridiculous amount of times. Kakashi had begun to find it amusing, then quickly convinced her that sleep would probably be best.

"Can I see the kids in the morning?" her returned ability to walk had brought some confidence back to her, though Kakashi remained sceptical.

"I don't know... I mean you're still quite weak, and I don't want you to get more ill with stress and things..." Kakashi sat in thought. He hated saying no to her like he was her guardian rather than her partner.

"Oh! Rubbish! I'll be fine. It will make me feel so much better knowing they are alright." Kakashi smiled cheekily.

e He sighed

"They're fine!" he chirped, feeling that it should suffice, though he knew she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"I mean see they are alright..." she quickly corrected herself. "Look you can't stop me. I've decided I'm going so I'm going, okay?" Kakashi went to speak but Ritsuka interrupted him. "In fact, I don't care if it's okay, I'm going." Her stern look made Kakashi laugh, but he soon sighed in defeat.

"On the condition that i go with you and a soon as i think you're too tired or you need to head back to bed or whatever, you'll listen to me?" Kakashi felt he had to somehow take control of this before she hurt herself.

"Fine. Though I'm only agreeing to keep you happy, so I hope you appreciate it." Kakashi nodded again as he pulled the covers up and around her shoulders and pressed her so she was lying down. Ritsuka felt a spark of pleasure shoot through her, but the general closeness set off another onslaught of memories, her eyes screwing up in pain. Kakashi pulled back slowly, his mind battling with itself. His body craved more, wanted to ravage her hard and fast, but he needed to take things slow. One slip up and she could end up unconscious or screaming in pain. He felt bad enough as it was with her headaches being mostly his fault, never mind to do things that could set off a chain reaction that he had no idea how bad would be.

"I'll see you in the morning." Was what he finally decided to say as he left the shelter as quick as possible, slightly proud of his brilliant self control.

The time would come, he just had to be patient.

**"Finally!" I hear you all cry... **

**I'm so sorry man, i could list you off all my excuses, but it's just the same old same old. **

**chapter isn't too big and probably full of mystakes, but i just wanted to get something up before you all abondon me hehe! *nervous laughter***

**Just a little insight into what's happened with her brother and some bits and pices to help fill out the past a little. so many loose ends i feel im losing in this story. but i shall try my best!**

**hope you enjoyed and glad you're still with me XD**

**peace all!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Oh yeah guys! you'll never guess what!**

**Another chapter! and it's not taken me a million years XD**

Chapter 10

Ritsuka woke early the next morning, a new kick to her spirits. She was excited about seeing her giant group of kids, and felt she owed it to them to show face, even if it was Kakashi's fault she hadn't seen them. Kyoya had been keeping her informed on how well they were all being taken care of, and how some had had their clothes exchanged for better ones by the villagers.

She was also a bit anxious to see how Tidus was doing. She had learned his name when Kyoya had told her in his explanations of how everyone was doing. Apparently the little blind boy had grown rather out casted, and didn't seem to be talking anymore. Ritsuka was determined to fix him up, make him feel better somehow.

Kakashi had made his concerns known again, but Ritsuka shrugged them off with good humour, reminding him that they had made a deal.

"It's not like you're going to stick to it." He had retorted, but he merely walked close beside her as he pointed the way.

Ritsuka was received with much cheering and hugs all round, her mood lifting even higher immediately. Her balance was still a bit rubbish, Kakashi's strong arms holding her steady when she gave him a frantic look as she stumbled a little.

"Oi! Guys calm down before you knock her over." Kakashi kept his tone playful, but Ritsuka could feel his frustration and worry in his hold. She smiled reassuringly at him.

"So how is everyone?!" she asked excitedly, and was rewarded with a sea of voices, all battling to tell her their tales. She had missed them strangely, even though they had only spent a week or two together. She couldn't remember how long really, all the days just seemed to merge together. A feeling she was becoming most accustomed to.

Ritsuka found a good spot to sit, and proceeded to listen to everyone in turn, laughing and joking with them as they played and danced around. A couple of the group were a little older than the kids, and seemed to sit back and enjoy the good mood and laughter. She however noticed that Tidus seemed to be missing, and it pained her to think why.

"So has anyone seen Tidus?" her question had most of the children shrugging, but one of the older boys spoke up.

"He doesn't really stay with us as a group much. Sometimes he comes to sleep next to me or Temaki, but that's it. Ever since you got hurt because he got lost he's been real quiet. Some of the other kids were mean to him, saying it was all his fault you were dying, so that might have something to do with it." A few girls in the group sulked slightly at the boy's words, Sokka Ritsuka was sure his name was, obviously to blame. Ritsuka wanted to scold them, but what would she say? Times were hard, and she could see where they were coming from, though it wasn't true. The boy was blind for god's sake.

"Oh, well that's not very good now is it? I guess I should go and find him. Thanks though." Ritsuka struggled to get up from her sitting position, and Kakashi helped subtly to keep her pride intact. "I'll be sure to come visit more often now that I'm awake." She laughed softly to lighten the sad thought, "So don't get into any trouble!" and she left on her hunt for Tidus.

It wasn't long before they came across some commotion that was at the fault of a poor blind boy tripping over some discarded rubbish, bumping unceremoniously into a rather unnecessarily raging man carring a couple of boxes, which he had of course dropped. Tidus had apologised profusely, but the man wouldn't have it as he continued to scream his profanities. Ritsuka was there in a second.

"Can't you see he's blind?!" she yelled over him, catching pathetically his hand as he tried to slap the poor boy. He couldn't have been able to duck or run or anything. Ritsuka felt the wind get knocked out of her, but didn't hit the ground as Kakashi was ready with outstretched arms. The man immediately backed off, realising his terrible mistake.

"I didn't mean to hurt the girl. She got in the way!" he protested as Kakashi heald his tongue. He was so mad he could just... "The boy! I thought he was being ignorant! I didn't know!" He continued to tell them his tale of woe, and how this whole ordeal had been so bad for him. Kakashi was really struggling and found it best to concentrate on the now out of breath Ritsuka.

"I would advise that you go away, unless you wish to be hurt?" Kakashi's calm voice seemed louder than any noise Ritsuka had ever heard in the deathly silence. The man luckily collected his things and left without another word, Kakashi shaking with the effort not to beat him within an inch of his life.

"I'm okay. You don't need to fuss. It wasn't that bad." Ritsuka tried to calm him but he just seemed to round on her instead.

"I was right there. You could have been severely hurt. Next time I'll handle the physical activates?" it wasn't really a question, and Ritsuka knew, even without the patchy memories, that it was best just to agree with him. He sighed, and smiled again, all evidence of his bad mood gone. She envied him for that ability.

"Tidus!" Ritsuka saw him trying to leave, but failing miserably, from the corner of her eye. "Where do you think you are going?" Tidus just seemed to quiver and shake as fear filled him, which surprised Ritsuka. "you're not afraid of me are you?" Tidus's colourless eyes rested on Ritsuka's general position as he tried hard to focus on her voice.

"I didn't mean to get you hurt!" He blurted out in a desperation that pained Ritsuka to hear, like he had been battling with these feelings alone for too long.

"Of course you didn't. And it wasn't your fault. I should have taken you myself, but in the heat of the moment everything got so confusing. No one was truly to blame! Now stop being ridiculous and get over here." Ritsuka hands had rested softly on the small boys shoulders and she pulled him gently towards her. She enveloped him in her arms, relief filling her as the boy clung to her desperately like his life depended on her. Kakashi stood back and let them have their moment, silently in awe at her ability to relate to people. It was a trait in her that he had never fully appreciated, her understanding of people an invaluable asset to her. He had also benefitted from it a lot, having been one of those 'need to understand' cases himself.

Ritsuka talked with the worried boy for nearly an hour, trying to comfort and sooth him in his black loneliness. She had even managed to get him to promise to stay with the group, especially Kyoya if he was around, which seemed to be impossible in the beginning.

"Are kids always this tough?" Kakashi joked, feeling a need for a lighter mood. Ritsuka smiled softly, knowing what he was doing.

"Kyoya is not so bad. He's been through a lot though, and has grown up ridiculously fast, much like you I guess. I'll never know if it was a genetic thing or an environmental thing." She joked, her little chuckle catching Kakashi nicely off guard.

The twilight was quite a nice compliment to the surrounding scenery. If it had been better times, he would love to have explored the area with Ritsuka. As it was, they were stuck within the grounds, patiently waiting for something to tip the balance of this peaceful pretence.

"Kakashi?" oh how he loved when she said his name.

"Yes?" his breath formed as steam in front of him, surprising him as he hadn't realised it was so cold. He was becoming less shinobi-esk by the minute it would seem...

"How does it feel? To have someone forget you completely?" Ritsuka wouldn't look at him as she stared intently ahead, obviously feeling bad about everything.

"To be honest? Hurtful and a little depressing. But I'll tell you, it's a million times better than thinking you're dead." Ritsuka seemed to grow sad, which wasn't really what he had aimed for. "But I'm over the moon you're here. Yeah I miss the old you and I feel hurt when you can't remember the things we did, or the places we went to, or the conversations and experiences we had, but you're piecing it together. It's just going to take time is all. And I have time, especially for you."

"I see. I'm sorry. Maybe if I hadn't been so 'spontaneous' this wouldn't all have happened." Kakashi smiled softly and turned humself to face Ritsuka.

"Maybe if I had looked harder for you, or looked earlier. Maybe if I had been more stern with you, never let you leave. Maybe if I had wrapped you up in bubble wrap and hid you from the world... the list goes on, but what happened, happened. And now it's all good. I'm sick of looking at the past and thinking what if. Now that I have you back again, I'll just have to keep an extra eye on you." Ritsuka was amazed at his optimism, but knew he was covering up a lot. He was protecting her from even himself, the darling.

"tch! You're going to need a lot of eyes!" she exclaimed, deciding best to keep the happiness up. They could talk about this in a better time.

.....

Ritsuka stared hard into the forest before her. She watched as the breeze danced with the grass so carefree, like her whole world hadn't just left her. The darkness ahead just seemed to swallow her up as she tried to regain her breath. Something about the whole scene just didn't seem right, but the emotional pain of rejection and abandonment was real, that was for sure.

Her hands subconsciously rubbed at her arms to heat herself up, but she wasn't feeling cold at all. Her senses felt dampened, and the sounds and sights seemed a little fuzzy. It didn't feel like the usual memory dreams she was used to, and it was beginning to get uncomfortable.

It was like she was experiencing someone else's memory, something that was alien to her, but only slightly. She really couldn't explain it very well. Like she was intruding, but she was the only one there.

She had been chasing him for too long, trying to stop him from leaving her. It didn't make sense. Why would Kakashi leave? After all that time looking for her to just run off in the end? Didn't he care for her? Didn't he want her back? Ritsuka pulled at the corners of her mind, confusion filling her thoughts. It just wasn't right!

Her legs began to move against her will, though she noted they were being a little sluggish and un coordinated. Her feet made her trip a couple of times, and she seemed to be bumping into trees and blackness not matter how hard she tried to steer herself out of the way.

She had to find him!

The forest went on for what seemed like forever, and she didn't seem to be slowing down either. One of the crooked branches pulled at her tightly, catching her around the waist and the arms, but her body pushed forward, her hands freeing her from the many more branches that seemed to come. Soon a light began to appear at the edge of the trees, but surprisingly, Ritsuka didn't want to walk towards it, not that she had the choice it would seem. Where was Kakashi?

Leaves and twigs crunched beneath her loudly, the deafening sound seeming to drown out voices. Yes there were definitely voices, but no matter how hard she strained her ears, or even tried to turn her head, her efforts were in vein. The frustration was beginning to get the best of her as her eyes overflowed with desperate tears, but her body remained unaware.

As the light grew closer, the trees thinned in their numbers. She could make out the shapes of clouds in the sky now, and the soft sand like dirt on the ground. She wasn't wearing any shoes either... what was going on?!

The scenery opened up in front of her, hills and rivers and distant forests rolling out into a perfect landscape. Ritsuka's heart pulled tightly at the beauty of it all, but her mind remained suspicious. A piercing noise that she couldn't make out was disturbing her, but concentrating on it was hard.

Still no sign of Kakashi. She was so sure he wasn't here, so why wasn't she turning around?

Ritsuka's muscles rippled in delight as they began to increase her pace, her desperate need to run and jump through the gorgeous meadows becoming quite overwhelming. And so she ran, her bare feet thumping softly on the silent grass, the coolness of the touch proving to be quite chilling. But still she raced, her body weaving expertly through some scattered trees, seeming to head for the rushing blue river in the distance. Ritsuka felt exhilaration flood her, but her suspicions didn't seem to lift any.

The edges of her dream seemed to be closing in a little, the corners flickering and tearing now and again as if she were watching a really old projector movie. Panic began to harbour in her mind, but her body and feelings remained relaxed and tranquil, with a taste of excitement to spice things up a little.

The river had sprung upon her all too quickly, a bright light catching her off guard. Her hands flew to her face to protect her eyes, and she sighed with relief as she regained some control of herself.

The shouting became more clear, and Ritsuka heard her name being frantically called. Kakashi was approaching quickly.

......

Kakashi woke to find Ritsuka's bed area empty, and her discarded sheets lying by the door. A lot of things rushed through his mind, but it was the panicked Kyoya that brought him back to reality.

"She ran into the forest!" Kyoya was trying his best to stay quiet as his terrified words left him with ever increasing volume. "I tried to stop her!" He was pushing Kakashi out of the door now, throwing his jumper at him as he overtook, leading the way.

"What do you mean? Why did she leave?" Kakashi was cursing his still numb brain, the many sleepless nights finally having their effects be known. He caught up on the boy within seconds and was soon in the lead.

"I don't know!" he was now shouting freely, "She wouldn't respond to me. At first I thought maybe she was sleep walking, but then her eyes were wide open, and she looked terrified. I pulled at her but she just kept swatting me away." Kyoya had slowed down now at the path Ritsuka had taken into the forest. "She is much stronger than me." The defeated tone brought Kakashi to a stop in front of his boy, his hand placed gently on his shoulders and his eyes serious.

"You did what you could, that's all that matters. I'll have her back in no time, just you wait. Now go back to bed before you catch a chill, and I'll let you know as soon as she's back okay?" Kyoya was about to protest when Kakashi spoke again, his voice more demanding. "And don't even for a second think you're following me or your mother in there, you understand? I can't hunt for her, look out for creatures and worry about you all at the same time. It will prove most difficult." Kyoya nodded though he felt a little annoyed at being replaced as Ritsuka's protector. He ignored the small voice that reminded him that he had gone to get Kakashi because he knew he wasn't strong enough...

Kakashi didn't waste any more time as he dived into the trees, chakra pushing him through the branches quickly and quietly, senses alert.

It wasn't long before he found Ritsuka's clumsy trail, broken branches and kicked leaves indicating where she had been.

And it wasn't long until he saw running towards the edge of a potentially killer waterfall.

Kakashi had only a few seconds to do what he could, and they were rapidly running out. He found himself shouting on her, though a part of him knew she wouldn't respond.

And then her head spun round, their eyes meeting for a split second before she fell backwards as if she had been pulled from behind, her silent scream falling on deaf ears.

**Well i hope you all enjoyed it!, finally getting to some story line, enough of this talking of the past filler like rubbish (though it was needed to explain a few things to the reader)**

**So yes what the hell happened?! Ritsuka has finally gone nuts and papped herself over a cliff edge. uh oh!**

**well all shall become clear in the next chapter (which i've actually started writing! it's all going so well no? ofcourse i have now just ginxed it...)**

**so thanks again for staying with me despite my unpredictability XD **

**peace! **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Kakashi slid to a halt at the edge of the cliff face, the waterfall being much more raging and deadly than he had first anticipated. The spray of the water tickled what was visible of his face, despite him being so far away from the water surface. His shoulder ached a little at the sudden dead weight he was holding, his breath coming in laboured pants at the pure exertion he had just pushed himself through. Blood pulsed ridiculously fast through his veins, making him feel a little light headed as he assessed his situation.

Ritsuka dangled unconsciously from his quivering fingertips, safely caught in his possession. Pulling her up had not been as hard as it should have been, with her weight being so deathly low.

Kakashi rolled onto his back as he lifted Ritsuka carefully onto his chest, scared to make too much movement and have the whole cliff face suddenly crumple to pieces, that seemed to be how the girl's luck worked. Once she was safely in his arms, he rolled her onto his other side, searching for her pulse and temperature. Her lips were turning a horrid shade of blue, her body shivering uncontrollably. Her pulse was faint, but still erratic and here eyes danced behind their lids as she continued to dream.

Kakashi didn't waste another second as he removed his jumper and placed it on Ritsuka, her limp body responding to his touches at last. Rubbing her arms, he tried his best to return some heat to her before he took the long walk back. He was grateful for the sun beginning to peak over the horizon, a sign that the creatures will be less of a risk.

Ritsuka began to moan as she slurred some words in her sleep, her eyes clamping shut in pain as she spoke. She pushed herself away from Kakashi a couple of times, before flopping against him gently, as if to finally surrender under his cast iron hold. Her arms began to circle round him tightly as her body convulsed, but now with tears.

It had been a strange and scary morning.

An ice cold glass of water over his face and a kick to his testicles in some kind of cruel joke would have been much preferred to this kind of wake up.

Kakashi managed to free himself from the tangle of limbs that held him prisoner, shaking his head as he lifted his beloved burden from the cold ground. Now to get back alive...

It was much colder in the forest, now being in the shade, but he didn't mind it so much since his jumper was in some seriously good use. He sighed lightly as he pushed on through the thick darkness, his senses alert for company.

Ritsuka tossed and turned in his arms, causing him to stumble a few times, but he didn't seem to mind. He kind of enjoyed touching her, enjoying the body he'd been desperately trying to avoid contact with. Ever since she had been found, he had wanted to do nothing more than to ravage her stupid, until her lips were red and open, panting that she told him over and over again that she didn't want him to stop, and he would gladly give her what she asked and ravage her some more.

He missed her sounds, the strangled cries when he touched her expertly in places that made him blush, her angry growls when he pulled away teasingly, before pulling his hair aggressively, and smiling sweetly back at him. The way she would know exactly what to do, or what things he was in the mood for, just by seeing him it would seem.

He missed the simple things, missed just sliding into bed, to feel her heat and love when he had spent the day, week, or even month doing a horrid mission that had him wishing he were dead. He missed her reassurances that she would make everything better, and how she actually did...

His grip tightened on the loose clothing she wore, his eyes stinging again. He really needed to get a hold of himself.

His attention was captured again at the sound of his name on Ritsuka's lips. Her eyes opened heavily, her hands pulling at him as she clung to him for dear life.

"Shhh." He hushed her, rocking her struggling body slightly as he continued to walk. "You're alright now."

"No!" she exclaimed, trying and failing to sit up. "He was here! It was him! I'm sure I saw..." Kakashi stopped abruptly, his eyes sharp and full of pent up rage. He placed Ritsuka carefully on her feet so that he could look directly into her eyes. He needed to know what happened right now, before he ran off blindly to kill a certain prick...

"Who was here?" His voice shook with rage, but he spoke slowly and clearly like he was under some deep stress, and was slowly failing to keep it locked up. That's when Ritsuka stopped fidgeting suddenly, Kakashi's bare chest becoming quite apparent, a blush rising dangerously to her cheeks before her mind went crazy with images, certain memories being rather more intimate than anything she had remembered before.

_Ritsuka felt a fire inside burst and scorch her mind as Kakashi harshly pushed her against the bed, his lip dancing with hers in a practised rhythm. His fingers pulled and pushed at her clothing, removing it all rather quickly, his bare chest against hers sending a shiver down her spine, her mouth opening in a crazed swearing fury..._

_Ritsuka held onto the headboard, her knuckles turning white with the strain. Kakashi's vigorous actions stirring a heat within her that had her begging for more, her toes curling painfully as he slid in and out of her expertly._

_Ritsuka sighed softly as she ran her fingers slowly down Kakashi's chest, her lips eventually joining the trail, making Kakashi's skin ripple with goose bumps. His musical laughter filled her heart as she giggled back softly, her eyes sparkling in the little light that was in the room. _

Image after image filled her mind as her hands rushed to cover her cheeks.

"What did we do?!" she exclaimed, her blush deepening exponentially. "Can people do that? Why would you...?" she shakily pointed towards his nether regions, her eyes shutting as she looked away in horror.

"Ritsuka! Can we concentrate on the matter at hand please? Who was here?!" Ritsuka felt the first pang of fear of Kakashi. She wasn't afraid that he would hit her or shout at her or anything like that. It was realisation that Kakashi would probably get himself killed trying to rid the earth of Kentaro. That he would probably throw away all sense and logic to do irrational things to the excuse of a man...

"I probably just imagined it." Ritsuka didn't want to lose Kakashi, not now that she was finally beginning to understand who she was.

"You were pretty sure a moment ago." Kakashi knew she was lying. "Please, just tell me. It was Kentaro wasn't it?" Ritsuka looked deep into Kakashi's eyes, searching. What would he do? "I need to know." Ritsuka nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving his. Her fingers locked tightly around his wrists, her fear evident as tears dripped from her chin. She pulled him closer to her, until they were sharing each other's breath.

"Don't!" she coughed out after a few moments, her legs shaking with the effort to stand. "Don't go!" Kakashi stood staring back at Ritsuka, his plans coming together quickly.

"The village isn't too far off..." he whispered as he looked back towards the waterfall, his hair standing on end with the sheer electricity of his excitement. He had beaten Kentaro easily before, Ritsuka didn't need to worry.

"You don't understand! He's ridiculously strong, and can make you believe anything! He'll have you kill yourself, I think he has done it before..." Kakashi smiled sweetly.

"I could have killed him years ago, it was easy enough." He pointed at his left eye which was covered up. "The sharingan can seen his technique so it can't reach me in time." Ritsuka looked at Kakashi in awe and puzzlement. She still wasn't convinced, despite his confidence.

"Kentaro said he couldn't be defeated... that he was the best, and everyone would see eventually see that." Ritsuka cringed as memories of Kentaro's boasts hit her hard. Kakashi laughed mockingly.

"He was always such a big headed fool, but I'm running out of time so you head on back, just head straight ahead of you, and I'll join you in ten." Kakashi twisted his wrists from her grip expertly and jumped up into the nearest tree.

"No! Don't! What if he kills you? What if you're the one being big headed here?" Kakashi stood up from the branch he was resting on and looked back at her angrily.

"He ruined our lives!" Kakashi's outburst had been quite unexpected, and didn't suit his calm and bored exterior. "And now he is trying to do it again. I won't have it! If I turn my back for one second, you'll be gone again and I can't bear to spend much more of my life alone and hurting. Shall you just not sleep for the rest of your life? Or shall we just hope he simply goes away, deciding that he had been wrong and he should change his ways?" Kakashi seemed decided as he disappeared, his cutting tone having a much more devastating effect on the stumbling girl than he had realised.

Ritsuka had to act fast.

Kakashi didn't understand!

....

Kentaro cursed as he hurled the closest rock he could reach into the rushing river ahead. His nostrils flared as he kicked some surrounding stones off into the forest behind, his anger peaking. A couple of creatures flinched as he roared his fury some more, though they made sure to keep their bowed positions. He was deadly when he was angry.

"I hate him, I hate him, I HATE HIM!!" Kentaro had thrown all sensibility to the wind as he kicked and punched at a nearby tree. "I want him dead! Do you understand me?! You pathetic fucks!! I WANT HIM DEAD!! Bring me his heart before I remove yours! I don't care how you do it, JUST DO IT!!" more tantrums and inanimate objects were thrown as the two creatures left swiftly, their orders having been given.

The tallest and more bulky of the two stood on a nearby rock as he looked at his fellow command. He snorted and cleared his groggy throat, the attention of the party immediately on him.

"Our orders are to return with Hatake Kakashi's heart." His gravelly voice shook the earth as he spoke. "He is the silver haired shinobi who slaughtered our less evolved brothers, and whoever acquires him shall do with him what he will. Am I understood?" the earpiercing cry that left the creatures filled and choked the air, sending birds into the sky in their massive flocks. "We go now!"

The massive group noisily picked up their weapons, came to some kind of formation, and headed out into the thick forests, their thunderous stomping leaving deep wholes in the earth's surface.

.....

Kakashi kneeled down at the edge of the cliff, his senses picking up his surroundings. Kentaro must have been downstream or at the base of the waterfall, since he had pulled Ritsuka over the edge.

Kakashi's mind filled with memories of lonely nights, worried searches and constant regretting. He couldn't forget what one man had done to him, no matter if he had what he had been searching for back in his arms. He shouldn't have had to be searching! She should have been home. With him. Home, where they could have brought up their child together. Home where he could have held her hand when she worried about being too motherly and over bearing, talked to her about how he worried he would be the worst dad due to his past, argued over whether to put their son in a normal school or the ninja academy, talked over plans to move into a bigger house to extend their family, had plentiful hugs and kisses with the odd spout of sex...

His eyes scanned the thick green of the riverside, the spray unfortunately obscuring his vision slightly. He had to get down there, unspotted. He had to destroy all that had brought him to his knees and kept him there...

He was filing through his options as he continued to scan around, plans and ideas coming to him quickly despite being preoccupied in his inner rant, when he heard the blood curdling cry of the creatures. The sun was full in the sky, so it had been quite unexpected....

Kakashi stood from his position, his bare and very pale chest almost shining in the sun rays. He had been so caught up in revenge that he hadn't planned for anything going wrong or getting in the way. His frustration coursed through him, making him tense. He had to make sure to warn the others of a possible attack, which was his duty, and he knew that, but he also knew that once he walked away from this, he might not get another opportunity to kill his sole tormenter.

And then it hit him.

How could have been so selfish and blind?!

Thoughts and images of Ritsuka being taken, impaled, beaten, scared, lost, broken, and maybe even forced to leave against her will rushed through his mind, his legs taking control as he sped off in the direction he had came in. He hoped against hope that she was alright, and didn't hate him...

....

Ritsuka stumbled through the thickets, curses leaving her as she tripped and fell countless times, her hands and knees scraping and re-scraping with each incident. She could feel her healing wounds tear in places, all Sakura's work seeming to be ruined so quickly. She couldn't think about the rage she would have to endure when she returned, she had to stop Kakashi, though she was beginning to doubt she was ever going to catch up with him.

Ritsuka stopped dead as she heard the war cry of the black creatures echo amongst the trees, her heart skipping a couple of beats. She so didn't need this right now.

Fear pushed her on as she wobbled and staggered ahead, her legs proving to be against her immensely.

Time was of the essence, and she had wasted enough of it already.

**Another installment successfully published! Yas!**

**So i hope everyone is still enjoying the story line... i know it may seem a bit boring so far but things are going to pick up i hope!**

**Well i hope to be updating more often as well, so i hope to not be keeping you waiting for too long guys!**

**i seem to be doing a lot of hoping hehe!**

**Thanks for your patience and support! XD**

**peace!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Ritsuka huffed as she rested her back against a nearby tree, her chest rising and falling in a feeble attempt to keep her breathing, and alive. She held back a coughing fit that seemed to be brewing within, her mind focused on only one thing.

Her lungs felt heavy as she cleared her throat to remove the uncomfortable feeling of her wheezing breaths, which only made her cringe at the resulting tearing of her throat. Her body felt like it was physically disintegrating as she stared into the blackness that was only beginning to lift ever so slightly due to the sun pushing its way through the canopy above.

Why did she have to be such a failure?...

Ritsuka battled with many emotions that seemed to come at her all at once. Determination was slowly losing the fight as despair and self hatred kicked in. Her body slumped more as she began to feel the weight of the world fall upon her with a crushing blow, her legs quivering dangerously as her body struggled to stay upright. She cursed gravity as she pushed her tears from her face, anger become more prominent by the moment.

She was so god damn sick of being so rubbish! It just wasn't fair anymore... how on earth was she going to sort her life out when she couldn't even see straight?!

There were much more pressing matters at hand, yet her body just didn't seem to cooperate with her needs. It had pulled through before, so why not now? She wiped furiously at the defying tears, her eyes and cheeks going red with the force.

She had to face the truth.

She was weak...

Feeble...

Useless...

Agonisingly ugly! With her stupid malnutrition issue and her millions of scars... she wasn't even sure if she had always been pale, or if it was just that her whole body was covered in scar tissue...

A burden, even to her own son...

An utter and complete waste of space...

Nothing but a failure! She couldn't even remember who she was for god's sake! She had done nothing but inconvenience people since she got here, nothing but hurt Kakashi, day in and day out. She wasn't remembering fast enough, and even if she did, could she be the Ritsuka he needed and wanted? Could she do that? Change to be like she used to? The way Kakashi had gone on about her, it was like she had been some kind of super hero/god type person, a girl without flaws, even when she was flawed...

It was just too much! No one could live up to that. She didn't feel like she was Ritsuka anymore, but some thief whole stole her body and perfect life.

Was that what had happened? Had Kentaro somehow removed the real Ritsuka and put her consciousness in her place? It didn't seem too absurd considering what he had done before...

Ritsuka crumbled to the ground as she broke down from the inside, her chest seizing up in agony as a well known lump formed. Her coughs came swiftly afterwards, her staggering breath and hiccoughs not helping to slow the fit. Her spiralling depression escalated to a level that she just couldn't handle, months and months of bottling everything up was just destroying her!

She was nothing but a god damn mess...

In fact, she was nothing...

But these facts were irrelevant. Even if she was all these things, Kakashi was still brilliant, and Kyoya was still technically her son, and she cared for them both so deeply. She had to fix what Kentaro had broken. She had to get back to the village to warn them, had to trust that Kakashi was as skilled as she had been told, and that he would be alright, even in the face of the epitome of evil...

Ritsuka's mind seemed to do some kind of reset, her priorities of saving the people of the village being much higher on the list than her long overdue breakdown and self loathing phase. Her feebleness was just getting ridiculous, and she wasn't going to let it slow her down.

Ritsuka braced herself as she took the first step away from the tree, her safe haven from the ground. She wobbled rather exaggeratingly, she thought, considering it had only been one step. Surely she couldn't be that bad.

Her feet felt numb as she pressed on, determination showing its face again. Ritsuka's stubborn nature was going to help her through this, she just needed to stay positive was all.

She would sort herself out later.

.....

Kakashi felt branches whip past him, catching him now and then as he sped towards where he had left Ritsuka. With her having no chakra, it had proved impossible to sense her, so Pakkun was going to be his next option.

Kakashi slid to halt as he landed in the small clearing he had stupidly abandoned his poor and broken Ritsuka to fend for herself. His heart sank when she didn't seem to be in sight. Calling her name was not an option as he had no idea how close the war waging company were. Broken branches and newly kicked up leaves again indicated where she had gone, and he felt himself sink as he noted her direction.

She hadn't gone back like he had instructed, which made him almost smile at her predictability. He loved when she did things like this. It felt like the old days. Though now was not the time to bask in the glory of it all.

Kakashi sped off through the trees, easily tracking his clumsy charge.

Well, clumsy might not be the word. More desperately ill and very close to death...

But positivity was the key here! He needed to keep that in mind.

Kakashi sighed with relief as he saw Ritsuka through the trees, her eyes red and puffy and her shoulders jerking with her suppressed coughing session. He wasted no time in sweeping her off her feet, careful to let her see that it was him so that she didn't scream.

"Kakashi!" she breathed out in a surprised and strangely embarrassed voice. "I thought you'd left to -" Kakashi hushed her as he sped off, his body rippling with his brilliant muscles as they expertly weaved the both of them through the fast oncoming trees. Ritsuka had closed her eyes in fright at first, but when she had remained unharmed, she found the whole experience rather exhilarating.

"You used to love running. You once told my sensei that it made you feel free, like you could run forever and never tire. You had always wanted to be the fastest in the world, a dream that you pretty much accomplished. He was always so proud of you..." Kakashi seemed to smile, but the action was lost behind his mask.

Ritsuka felt her depression pull at her consciousness, the pedestal she had been placed on wobbling and crumbling slightly. But merely grunted as she bit her lip hard, hiding her face from view by flipping her hair down over it. This was probably more of a hint that she was falling to pieces, but it had been completely involuntary. She felt like a child.

Kakashi did notice this act, but chose to worry about it later. The inner workings of Ritsuka was something that was going to take time, and at the moment he was pretty short on it.

"Well we're almost back, so don't worry." Kakashi had tried to keep his voice even, but she had this affect on him and he just couldn't hide from her.

Kakashi burst out of the forest, the sun and warm air hitting them hard. He scanned the area as he made his way inside the village walls, his speech running through his mind.

"Okay, head back to the house, and lie down. Don't leave or do anything stupid until I get there, in fact, just don't do anything stupid full stop. I'll warn the others." Kakashi placed Ritsuka softly on her feet, his eyes searching hers. He didn't need to say what he wanted, his eyes conveyed more than he would have been able to. Ritsuka blushed softly as she collected herself, running the best she could back to the house.

Kakashi sped off again in the opposite direction, picking up and Gai and Yamato's chakra signatures immediately. He would relay his plan onto them first.

Gai and Yamato were quick to get the ball rolling, spreading the word and setting up the teams required to make their survival possible. Kakashi informed all he could as he headed back to Ritsuka, finalising his plan.

"Ritsuka?" He had called her name before he had even reached the stairs, his nerves getting the better of him. Her head peaked out round the door her small smile in place.

"So what are we doing?" She was dressed in her own clothes now, her sock and shoes in place with her hair tied back. Kakashi shook his head.

"Oh no you don't." Was all he said before unceremoniously slinging her over his shoulder and plopping her down on her bed sheets. "You are staying right here." Ritsuka went to protest, but Kakashi was fast with his 'covering mouth with hand' jutsu. Damn him! "This is not something you can help with. Now listen carefully, because I am deadly serious." Kakashi's wisdom filled eyes didn't waver for a second as he spoke. "If this goes badly," his hand was still in place, muffling Ritsuka's protests, "You will need to leave for safety. Another evacuation is underway, but we can't leave the village until we know which direction the damn beasts come from." Something in Kakashi's tone told Ritsuka that it wouldn't be too farfetched to think they would come from all directions. "We haven't got enough shinobi to hold fort here and transport the evacuees. So, this is where you come in. You handled the kids just fine up until here, but I need you to do it on a much bigger scale. Kyoya told me of your abilities in survival and I have to say I'm quite impressed." Ritsuka would have probably smiled at this point, and maybe blushed too, but the prospect of being without Kakashi was quite bleak. "And I have every faith that you will do wonderful! I will send you a couple medic-nin, I'm sorry that's all I can spare you, to help out with looking after the sick and old, and some of the younger and less experienced shinobi to help with sorting everything out and helping you organise. I hope I'm not asking too much, but this is an extreme time of need, and the villagers' survival is key to this whole thing. I will also send someone ahead to let the main capital know of the next country that he will need to clear some space for a good few hundred..." Kakashi's brain started completing the odds and ends of his master strategy.

Ritsuka stared back at Kakashi as she digested what he had asked of her. He had asked her to abandon him really, and she figured she had been appointed head of this expedition so that her sense of duty would make her leave.

He was protecting her.

The feeling was odd she had to say, a strange welling up inside of her seemed to be happening. It didn't feel bad, though, just intense.

"Ritsuka?" Kakashi looked worriedly at the broken girl in front of him. He knew he was asking so much of her, but what needed to be done needed to be done, and that was it.

He would do anything to keep her safe, even have her leave him.

There was a possibility he would never see her again, either with her illness and weakness getting the better of her, and killing her, or him dying fighting off what seemed to be an endless stream of inconvenience in his life...

And it hurt.

A lot.

Ritsuka felt her damn eyes flood again, and almost punched the floor in a rage at her weakness, but she refrained, and simply stared. After a few moments, her mind began to slow down again.

Kakashi's way seemed to be the only way really. She would die if she stayed behind, and Kakashi would spend his time protecting her rather than doing his job, they both knew it. Also, she had taken on the responsibility of a large team of kids, and she couldn't let them down, no matter how deaths doorsy she was.

And it was decided.

"Will you be coming to the capital as well?" Ritsuka was surprised that she could talk, though she was very quiet. Kakashi sighed as he stared a head, trying to avoid her eyes.

"The survivors of this fight will head to the capital. I can't promise I will be there, but damn it, I'll bloody try. We have so much to catch up on!" Kakashi tried to bring positivity back to their conversation, but both knew that it wasn't working. "Just don't do anything stupid, and I don't mean Ritsuka stupid, I mean Kakashi stupid." Ritsuka sighed and rolled her eyes. Kakashi laughed softly, and awkward silence falling between the two.

Kakashi took a deep breath as he studied the floor with great care, wanting so many things right now. But he had to be slow, he couldn't risk giving Ritsuka some kind of brain damage with all her memories when she had such a huge task ahead of her. He wished he could spare some of his charge.

Ritsuka fidgeted as she waited for Kakashi to do or say something. He always seemed to know what couple should do, though she wasn't sure she was ready for what she remembered earlier...

"Why are you blushing?" The question seemed so innocent, but Ritsuka began to get flustered as she choked her words out. Kakashi covered her mouth again. "Woaw! Relax! I was just curious." He laughed softly again, his breath tingling on Ritsuka's cheek.

And suddenly her body remembered what to do.

Ritsuka slid along the bed sheets until their bodies were touching, her hand tracing shapes on his arm as she slowly lifted her eyes to see his expression. His visible eye was wide with shock, which had her retreating a little.

"I... I thought I... I don't know how to do this..." she eventually confessed, feeling quite stupid. Kakashi smiled softly, sliding his arm across her shoulders, and pulling her in for a tight hug. Her arms just seemed to know where to go, and she moulded herself against him.

"You seem to be a fast learner." He joked as she fitted perfectly into his shape. She sighed softly as she listened very carefully to his heart beat.

"When I see you next, I want to hear that, you understand?!" her voice held a playful tone, but her eyes told a different story. She prodded hard against his chest where his heart was. "It's mine okay?" she giggled as she spoke, feeling more ridiculous, but Kakashi understood.

"It always will be, even if I do die." Ritsuka flinched at his words.

"Don't say that..." her voice was but a whisper.

"But it's true!" he continued. "But don't worry! I'm pretty good you know." Ritsuka smiled again, though it was only to lighten Kakashi's confidence.

"Well let's just hope everything works out today yeah? I don't know if i could walk a mile never mind to another country..." Ritsuka mumbled as she pretended to throw a mini tantrum. Kakashi shook his head as he laughed at her strop, his heart breaking.

"Yes, let's hope it does."

**Herro! so yea I'm setting up some move along plot, 'at last!' i hear you all cry XD**

**So yes, a potential Ritsuka and Kakashi split! oh no! how will they copes?! and how will this war go, will they have to evacuate and leave a select few teams of shinobi to give them time to survive? and evolution in the beasts? didn't see that one coming did you? (maybe you did lol and i'm not as original as i had hoped ^.^'')**

**But anyhooooo! i hope you are all still interested? i know iv been a bit mental in plot lines and things, but inspiration just isnt coming fast enough to be honest T.T it's not good...**

**but yes hope to hear your thoughts! XD**

**peace!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Kakashi had left shortly after their heart wrenching moment, the spot where he had kissed her cheek softly growing cold as the air danced on it. Ritsuka placed her finger tips around the area gingerly, marvelling at the emotions that seemed to hit her all at once, the intense feeling within was now just bursting to get out, almost painfully.

She sighed longingly as she awkwardly stood up, grabbing a bag that Kakashi had already packed for her. She smiled as she found clothes and food stashed away expertly in little bundles, leaving plenty of space for anything else she needed. She pulled together some of the bedding that had kept her warm the last few nights and stuffed it in, feeling a little bad for pretty much wasting all of Kakashi's space saving efforts, but she didn't have time to dwell on it.

The creatures were on their way, would be here any moment. Acting fast and efficiently was all she had to focus on as she started pulling together some of Kyoya's belongings and stuffing them into the backpack. She left the wooden house soon after, bumping into Kyoya as she rounded the corner in a hurry.

"Mum! What the hell is wrong with you?!" his worry seemed to have subsided now, and was replaced with frustration fuelled anger. "You know the place is crawling with death and you go marching right into the centre of it like some kind of maniac!" his hands were shooting into the air in great big gestures as he fumed. Ritsuka smiled sheepishly at her son, trying her best to keep the conversation from a shouting match.

"I'm okay now, Kakashi fixed everything. I was just sleep walking is all." Kyoya was now tapping his foot impatiently as he eyed her suspiciously.

"My arse!" he yelled, his temper getting the better of him. "Do you think I'm an idiot?! Your eyes were open! And you're a terrible liar!" Kyoya was just calling her bluff and she knew it.

"Look." She knelt down in front of her irate son, her hands rubbing at his shoulders affectionately, trying her best to sooth him. "It's okay. Kakashi managed to stop me so all is well, and incidentally, people have been known to walk with their eyes open and still be asleep." Her matter of fact tone annoyed Kyoya immensely, but he knew she wouldn't tell him what really happened.

"After all we've been through, you still lie to me, pretend everything's alright, when I know that it's not. I'm not a stupid, naive kid. And what exactly am I meant to do if it happens again?! Kakashi isn't coming with us, so who's going to stop you then? Eh?!" Ritsuka rolled her eyes as she got to her feet again, guilt welling up as she plastered a goofy grin on her face.

"I will be fine! Don't worry. Now let's get going. We have a huge task ahead of us." She hoped that by incorporating him in the plans Kyoya would feel more inclined to drop the subject, and she almost giggled in delight when it worked.

"Over by the main house." He pointed to a vastly increasing group, which proved to be a little daunting. Kakashi had such huge faith in her...

"Are you ready?" Ritsuka held her hand up, waiting for the high five that she quickly received.

"Let's do this!" Kyoya stated before rushing off to their previously much smaller and more manageable group of orphaned kids.

Ritsuka concentrated on her breathing as she hesitantly made her way to the bustling and arguing crowd. A couple of medic nin that she had seen helping Sakura were waiting for her, just like Kakashi had promised. Their smiles helped her calm down a little inside, but her mind was still racing with the possible catastrophic outcomes that could result with her being in charge. He tracking skills and inner compass had always served her well, but under this kind of pressure, she wasn't sure she could do it.

The next country was north east from this point, which would be the quickest route, but she was prepared for diversions and adaptation. A couple of women close to the outside of the crowd tutted and scowled in Ritsuka's direction, obviously unhappy with their appointed leader. She kept her head down as one of the medic nin signalled for her to follow him.

"Kakashi has told me to help keep an eye on things, and to let you know he will be sending some tactical help before we have to leave." Ritsuka frowned as she inwardly cursed Kakashi.

"He was always going to send us out wasn't he?" The young man looked back at Ritsuka puzzled, but then seemed to suddenly understand. "Liar..." she continued to mumble as she gestured for her informant to continue.

"Once he has figured out from which directions the enemy is arriving, he will inform us so that we can then begin the evacuation." Ritsuka looked back at the anxious crowd, watched as some of the men hugged their wives and children as they parted company, readying themselves for battle. It was heart wrenching to see. "Now, it is going quite a job keeping so many hidden, do you have any ideas?" Ritsuka had been caught off guard. Ideas? Kakashi had only just told he she was head of this expedition, now she was having to come up with ideas?

"Well, we should always be downwind of any nearby creatures; they have a real good sense of smell." The medic nin before her nodded his head knowingly, though Ritsuka worried that she was stating the obvious. "Um... when I had the grouped of kids we would stay near rivers. The creatures hate water so if we were attacked, we could simply swim across to safety. Also staying up high in trees can sometimes help keep out of sight of the scouts they have." The young man was now very interested in what she was saying, making her feel a little self conscious.

"You mean they have order amongst them? Each with different duties?" Ritsuka nodded nervously.

"Well that's what I've seen, and trust me, I've seen a lot." Ritsuka started to pull at her hair, wishing the medic would stop looking at her so intensely. "Some are more clever than others, I think. I'm sure I heard one speak my name a few months back."

"That's amazing. Have you told Kakashi all this?" Ritsuka panicked.

"What?! No! I thought he knew all this. He was so knowledgeable that I thought he knew all that I did. Oh shit!" The medic placed his hands carefully on Ritsuka's tense shoulders and laughed.

"Panic not!" he called over one of the younger shinobi, a brown haired cheery boy, and told him of the news. "Anything else we should know?" Ritsuka pondered quietly for a moment.

"They learn quickly. Using the same technique or fighting style won't work after a while. They seem to register and copy your movements after only a few encounters. And that's all I can really think of right now, sorry..." the younger shinobi nodded and shot off towards the front of the village to inform Kakashi of the new revelations.

"Now then, high places, near rivers and downwind." He rolled out an old crunchy map, his eyes scanning the area.

"There." Ritsuka placed her finger on the map at their current position and drew a line heading north along a river. "We should follow that, then turn east at the second joining river so as to make sure we are still in the cover of trees for longer while being next to the water. Plus it's a thicker looking one than the first, meaning they will be less likely to follow."

"Why do they hate water?" the medic was quite impressed with the decisiveness of the unsure and nervous girl. He had been worrying Kakashi had maybe lost his mind...

"They don't hate water as such, just rushing water in great volumes. They are unsteady on their feet as it is with their bulky towering height, so they get swept away and can't swim in fast flowing rivers. They tend to prefer a drier route over bridges or fallen down trees." The medic nodded slowly, now fully beginning to understand the situation.

"Well I think we are set then!" he chirped, rolling his map back up and placing it in his pack neatly. "I'm going to check my team have the supplies needed, and I think you should maybe inform the evacuees of the plan." Ritsuka almost yelped at the thought of having to address all these people at once... on her own... but the medic was out of ear shot within seconds.

Ritsuka cleared her throat, as she planned her speech for the awaiting villagers.

The creatures came not long afterwards, their piercing screeches and thunder like footsteps causing chaos to unveil. Ritsuka did her best to calm those closest to her, but it was proving to be quite impossible. Mothers held their children as the cried together, fear bringing out the protective instincts within. Fathers stood their ground, urging Ritsuka to make her move and get them out of here, but Kakashi had not given a signal. She couldn't leave until he had said it was time, and Kakashi was probably the most experienced out of all of these people, making him the one to trust.

Meanwhile, Kakashi stood with the many shinobi that were readying themselves for the battle ahead. He had debriefed them on the best course of action, with water jutsu and wide based attacks being at the top of the list. He had set up a few formations to cover for every eventuality that was possible, his strategic mind going crazy with ideas. Some of the non shinobi men decided to stay and help, their positions being carefully placed back inside the capital walls. They were geared up with spears, bows and arrows and rocks, and those at the gate with boiling water and oil, and sling shots.

Yamato had been most helpful with the construction of some heavy duty catapults, an excellent addition to the whole offense. They too were set up just outside the village, more volunteers manning the stations with the heaviest rocks that could be found, and some furniture and building parts that he been broken off in the previous encounter for backup reserves.

Kakashi felt confident that things would go well, but he had to keep a cool head.

He looked out along the horizon to where the creatures were coming, his keen senses picking up little over a thousand creatures. He wasn't sure whether this was a last minute thing, judging by the small number, or if it was due to the creatures being some kind of elite force, that they didn't need many of them. At any rate, they had to be careful. He wasn't about to throw lives away on overconfidence.

Kakashi bit his thumb to release some blood, before throwing his hands together in a blur of hand seals. A group of dogs appeared in a puff of smoke as he slammed his hand on the ground, Pakkun sitting at the front, his grumpy expression in place.

"I need you to do a 360 scout of the area and tell me from what directions the creatures are coming from. Once you have all reported, come back for further orders." The nin dogs all nodded in unison and shot of in different directions. Kakashi stood again, catching Naruto's eyes, which were burning with excitement.

"No crazy shit, you understand?" Naruto nodded, holding back his smirk.

"Yeah, yeah I know! But I could take them out myself no problem!" Kakashi nodded in appreciation, knowing full well the boy was going to try.

"There is more to battles than getting stuck in and killing everything in sight. Just stick to the plan." Kakashi had also compensated for the probable loss of Naruto in the ranks as he shot off to do his own thing, though there was no harm in reminding the boy to do as he was told. And sure enough, Naruto laughed nervously.

"What plan?" Kakashi refrained from sighing audibly, but god he wanted to. Thankfully Sakura had stepped in to round house kick the boy and relay the plan in small understandable chunks. Naruto really didn't do himself any favours.

Kakashi's attention was pulled away as he heard the first howl of his dogs. He nodded softly as he waited for the others, his plans changing and adapting to his new information. The rest of the shinobi guard watched him in awe as he calculated.

"Alright, they come from the South right up to the West. We can see only half of their rank, so I would make it out to be about two and half thousand?" Kakashi turned to face the shinobi and villagers who held onto his every word. "The north and the east are clear." The dogs had returned in a flash. "Pakkun," Kakashi had spun round to face the enemy again, "Inform Ritsuka where to go, take three with you and stay with the group, until the group has safely made it to the next capital. You can then do as you please at that point." Pakkun and three others disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the other four to wait for further instructions. "Two of you, I want you to track ahead of the group of evacuees, and inform the rest of approaching dangers, and the other two will stay behind the group to inform of dangers from behind. Understood?" The dogs all nodded and headed off to carry out their orders.

"I take it you don't expect to keep the village safe?" Kakashi looked over at Yamato, noticing his cocky smirk.

"I just said that to her so that she didn't panic beforehand. She seems to have lost her confidence in herself, and I know she can do this." Was all Kakashi said, slightly annoyed Yamato had eves dropped earlier.

"She'll find out you know." Yamato was having fun at least.

"Yes well I'm sure she will get over it." Kakashi smiled back, his head in the game. However, he was brought back out again when he heard rushed footsteps from behind. "Konohamaru?" Naruto jumped up excitedly.

"We have some new info!" He stood to attention before Kakashi, his endeavour to impress him oozing out of every pore. He then relayed what Ritsuka had said earlier, enjoying that everyone's eyes were on him.

"Interesting." Kakashi tapped his finger on his chin thoughtfully. He didn't know why he hadn't thought to ask her about the creatures, having survived them for so long. He felt almost embarrassed as his fellow shinobi listened intently to the new information.

"She said that she is sorry, that she thought you already knew all that 'cause you had said a couple of these things." Konohamaru felt a sudden need to protect the poor girl from ridicule. She had seemed so nice, and sincere. Kakashi nodded.

"Good job. Now head on back to your post." The boy bowed quickly, before high fiving Naruto, and shooting off back to the evacuation group. Kakashi shook his head while sighing, Naruto's huge smile seeming somewhat out of place in this scene.

The creatures from ahead gave a final roar before rushing forwards in their hundreds. "Brace yourself everyone, and wait for my mark!" Kakashi called out, his hand in the air for everyone to see. The earth shattering sound of stampeding beasts echoed through the forests and along the ground, the vibrations making some of the defenders doubt their survival. But their doubts had not long to fester as Kakashi called out and dropped his arm suddenly, the signal for the first onslaught of catapulted rocks and arrows to commence.

...........

Ritsuka had begun to pace as she waited to for her signal, ignoring the insults and jabs the people were throwing at her. She was seriously beginning to wonder if she had stupidly missed the signal, to busy trying to calm everyone. What if she was making these people sit and wait for death?

"Ritsuka." She turned around to see no one, but was sure her name had been called. The clearing of someone's throat had her attention brought to the ground.

"Pakkun!" she called, blushing a little as she stammered her apology. "S-sorry!" The pug raised his paw to show he was un-offended. "Are you the sign?" Pakkun nodded.

"We are to head in a northern and eastern direction, which means the path to the next country is clear." Ritsuka nodded as she addressed the crowd.

"Excuse me." Her voice didn't seem to carry over the noise of panic and disruption. The medic nin from earlier had come over to join her, catching the attention of a few at the front. Ritsuka sucked in a deep breath, closing her eyes in the hope that her shyness would go away for a moment. "YO! EVERYONE!" the crowd quietened, their hushes and shushes erupting. "Thank you, now can we please start moving?" the villagers all started rustling around collecting their bags and belongings, some children still crying from the most recent of earth shattering roars. "Now we need to stay in our groups that you have been put in. Each group must look out for itself, informing an appointed shinobi of illness or of any problems that occur." The said shinobi were repeating Ritsuka's words so that everyone could hear what she had said. "We must stay in the shelter of the forests and stay close to the rivers, remember that, because it is vital to everyone's survival, not just yours. Do we have any problems before we start, is there anything that has not yet been addressed?" Ritsuka waited a few moments for anyone to speak up, but all was quiet. "Alright! Let's go." Ritsuka turned to Pakkun, extending her arm to allow him to take the lead. He nodded curtly before trotting off.

**And another one in the bag! Man this chapter has taken me so long to do, my ever flowing stream of ideas drying up horribly. i have so many ideas for later on, but nothing for now, which sucks :( but i will soldier on! don't u worry!**

**And i know ritsuka seems to be a bit rubbish right now, but it all has to do with her state of mind. I don't know if it's working, but i want to show that by forgetting her past she has also forgotten how to be strong, and how to push and hold herself like she used to. i also want to show that it is sort of like a mental illness in a way, that it has knocked her confidence and she has become unpredictable and unstable, as well as childish in some sense. how that she literally is forcing herself to do things that would have come naturally to her normally, like leadership. i also wanted to show that by not knowing it she sometimes shows a bit of her old self, like her plan of action with the map being quickly thought through and thurough, and her taking control at the end was bursts of her old confident personality shining. **

**So enough of my rambling and i hope everyone is still enjoying our little journey, and thanks again to all those who have been reviewing and favouriting XD makes me smile and sometimes squee a little hehe ^.^**

**so please feel free to let me know what you think, good bad or indifferent! XD**

**until next time! Peace!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Has Kakashi been feeding you right? You don't look like you've put much on..." Pakkun continued to fuss over Ritsuka, his eyes stern and his nose twitching madly as he sniffed furiously, which confused her slightly. She hadn't realised how close she had been to the little dog. Apparently she had helped Kakashi raise all eight of them when they finally got together, Pakkun having pushed Kakashi into whisking her off her feet, and away to begin their life together. He took sole responsibility for Kakashi and Ritsuka's perfect relationship. "That Kakashi can be quite a pain these days. Sometimes he'll get so depressed _he_ won't even eat. Doesn't mean he has to forget you though... I'll have a word with him later, don't you worry!" Ritsuka felt the need to stick up for the poor man, though the whole thing was quite comical.

"He has been perfect, honestly." She giggled slightly as she became part of the brilliant charade. "I just can't keep what he cooks for me down." Pakkun nodded in understanding.

"He is a bit useless, and I always thought the human food he cooked looked a bit disgusting. I don't blame you for hurling it up." Ritsuka slapped her hand to her forehead.

"That's not what I meant. He's actually a really good cook, just, I think he said it was because my body still thinks it's starving, and food is too heavy for me. Though I have taken to dealing with those rice cracker things he had..." Ritsuka reminisced on the last few meals she had that were solely based on these crackers. It was better than nothing she supposed, if not a little pathetic.

The crowd of a couple of hundred seemed to be slowing down behind her, complaints of the heat and sore feet being too much for them all. Ritsuka rolled her eyes as she too slowed down. Pakkun however, wasn't as lenient.

"We can't stop yet! Not until the sun comes back up tomorrow morning!" he barked out his orders, most of the people ignoring him as they continued to moan. "Don't they understand their lives are at stake?" Pakkun seemed to be perplexed by the whole scene.

"I don't think they do, but remember you are used to travelling with shinobi, not normal paced people. These guys aren't as fast as Kakashi." Pakkun muttered some swears under his breath before he called out to the other three ninken that were slightly ahead. Ritsuka had come to learn that they were Bull, the biggest of them all, with his dark brown fur and goofy grin, Shiba, a tanned coloured dog with black sun glasses, and another reddish brown dog who, was strangely covered in bandages, was named Guruko. Pakkun had also helped with explaining the others, thought she was having a hard time remembering all their names, surprisingly enough...

And so the evacuees travelled little over eight miles, thankfully before the night came, and the evacuation group stopped for dinner, which seemed to have been unanimously decided, despite Ritsuka's fear of being followed.

"You have an hour to feed and water yourselves before we move again. Please be ready." Most of the villagers just mumbled as they went off in their groups, searching for fire wood and fish to eat.

Ritsuka and the medic nin from earlier, Kisuke, decided to have a meeting with the ninken to decide the best course of action once they got moving again. An energetic light brown haired dog with a tuft of darker hair on his head was currently bouncing about as he told of his findings.

"There's a shit load of forest up ahead." Pakkun bit his hind leg in annoyance.

"Uuhei! Language!" Ritsuka couldn't help but be amused at the scene, her smile fighting at the corners of her mouth.

"Ow! Okay, okay, sorry. Anyway, if we keep going the way we're going then we should be okay, until we get to the hills." Ritsuka looked at Kisuke, puzzled.

"Hills?" Kisuke shrugged as he opened the map back up again. He spent a few minutes studying it, rubbing areas to see if they had been somehow concealed. "May I?" Ritsuka took the map before Kisuke had nodded, and held it up to the small light they had rigged. Through the paper, around five or six triangles showed up, indicating the hills. "The older maps down this way were drawn out using biodegradable inks. It never truly goes away, still embedded in the parchment, or even just leaving behind a residue, but the only way you can see it is by holding up to a light." Kisuke laughed nervously, obviously embarrassed by his mistake.

"Sorry. I'll remember that for next time..." Ritsuka smiled reassuringly at him. The bounding dog seemed to calm down a little as he sat closer to the tree stump they were using as a table.

"Yeah that's them!" He chirped, feeling quite excited. "They're not that big, but your group will suffer. It's pretty dangerous, so we might need to go round it. This means going through the swampy area here," he motioned for the map to be brought down for him, and placed his paw gingerly next to the area where the mountains had shown up. "But I don't know how deep it is. It might end up being more dangerous than the crumbling hills." Ritsuka eyed the area with great distaste. No matter what way they went, she would suffer abuse from the evacuees, but she really had no choice.

"We shall head for the marshy parts, and I will go in and check how deep it is. If it is too dangerous, we head for the hills." She looked at Kisuke for his agreement, and she happily received a nod. "Good!"

"Although, I would rather we sent someone else head long into these dangers. We have plenty of shinobi here to help us with such things." Ritsuka thanked him for his thought, but she needed to do this.

"If these people are going to respect my decisions, I need to show them that I myself am willing to go through it with them. There is no use in looking like some kind of King, sending my subjects to their possible deaths. Plus, this is my plan, and I will take responsibility." Ritsuka rolled up the map, a signal that she wasn't going to discuss this matter further. "And we shall plan the rest of this journey the night before we cross the swamp." Kisuke tried to interrupt but she had moved on, a clever technique she had picked up from Kakashi.

Kakashi...

"So any other news?" Ritsuka needed to concentrate, and the other dogs seemed to be waiting patiently for their turn. It was the white dog, Akino's, turn to speak.

"Nothing seems to be following us, though I want to span out my search tonight, check for dangers coming from the far corners. If that is alright with you?" Ritsuka felt weird being in charge of these ninken. They seemed so much wiser than her, and should probably just get on with what they thought was best. She would probably just agree with them anyway.

"Sure! Sounds good to me." She turned to Akino's partner, another tanned dog, with a head band around his head. "So, Urushi, what are your plans?" Urushi seemed to smile at the mention of his name.

"I will keep to the back. If Akino does his sweeps of the area, I can move further forward in the defence, keeping the direct line of the evacuation under surveillance." Ritsuka liked this plan also.

"Great! So Bisuke and Uuhei, I think it best that you just do the same as today, except maybe flank yourselves out to check for sidelong dangers like these two, but not as drastic, and Shiba, Guruko," who made Ritsuka concerned, with all his bandaging, whether he was fit for this or not, but Bull seemed to be the best of the eight to keep close to everyone due to his size and power, and Pakkun for his translations, so there didn't seem to be another way "maybe we should widen the search to the side as well, make a sort of circular guard. Finally, Bull and Pakkun, just the same as today please, I will need at least one of you to stay behind and inform me of the changes or dangers, obviously. Is that alright with everyone, and feel free to put in your ideas if you have any. I'm open to discussion here." Ritsuka waited a moment as the ninken all looked at each, seemingly pleased with this course of action. "Good! Good. So let's roll then!"

.........

Kakashi felt the slight sting of a spear catching his arm, having merely missed his chest. It didn't hurt, but it was frustrating. These creatures were unlike anything they had fought before, there intelligence and strategic moves proving to be quite effective, and annoying. But he didn't let it faze him. He called back to his fellow shinobi as he plunged his lightning filled hand through three of the enemy.

"Now!!" The nearby shinobi pulled back slightly, their hands flying together in various hand signs. In unison they called out their jutsus, great fountains of water appearing through the trees of the forest to the right, where a nearby river was hidden. The creatures were swept aside, leaving plenty of room for the other shinobi to jump in and slay them. A dirty trick Kakashi felt, but he was sure they would have done the same to his men.

"Kaka-sensei!" Naruto's distinctive nickname for him bellowed out, his heroic pose making him cringe slightly. What now?

Naruto summoned two of his frog friends that he trained with, and used his water gun jutsu, missing Kakashi by an inch maybe?

"Naruto!" Sakura's voice filled the air as she appeared to have been drenched by some back spray.

"We have no time for this!" Kakashi shouted as another wave of creatures poured over the horizon. Naruto closed his eyes as he concentrated hard. Hermit mode _was_ a good plan about now. "I'll cover you." Kakashi placed himself between the onslaught and Naruto, allowing him to calm and concentrate on his transformation. One mistake and Naruto could end up a frog forever, which in other circumstance, like if he could change back, could have been quite funny...

"Kakashi! 275! How many have you killed? I bet I'm beating you!" Kakashi refrained from rolling his eyes at the green mass in front of him, teeth gleaming unnaturally in the setting sun.

"Gai, is this really relevant?" Gai pouted slightly as he beheaded another creature with his famous dynamic entry.

"Absolutely fundamental!" He cried, his heart obviously broken by Kakashi's misunderstanding. To be honest, Kakashi hadn't been counting.

"317." That sounded accurate... It had been around that anyway. Gai laughed animatedly as he pulled another pose.

"Fear not! I shall surpass you!" and he was off quicker than he had appeared, a green blur in the distance. Kakashi almost laughed at their strange friendship that he had finally found with the man. He had probably been the most supportive and understanding of everyone when Ritsuka went missing, surprisingly. Though it made him question Gai's sexuality a few times...

"Kaka-sensei!" Naruto pushed passed, his increased power oozing from him exponentially. "I'm good." He shot his trade mark smile as he shot off ahead of him. Kakashi was so proud of the boy, but it didn't mean he wasn't worried about him.

"Don't do anything stupid!" He called out, darting off to the left to help out some villagers that were currently under attack.

Naruto cleared quite a few hundred of the creatures within a short time, Gai predictably taking it rather badly. The numbers seemed to thin out, and minimal casualties had been sustained. A great light filled the now darkening sky as Naruto's Rasengan landed another hit, its victims scattering mercilessly around him.

Kakashi instructed the last few counter attacks, before all that was left to do was to send out an injured and dead party, which was quickly put together. The villagers that had stayed to help started to cheer in triumph as the numbers fell to one, Naruto happily finishing the battle off, for now.

"Nice work man! I liked the ace up your sleeve when they tried to surround us. It's amazing how you know all of these things will happen!" Yamato was always too kind with his compliments to Kakashi, but he never liked to insult the young man but throwing them back in his face.

"I just covered for every eventuality, so it just looks like I knew. But sh! It's our little secret." He decided that correcting him would be better, tapping his nose as he winked at the younger shinobi.

"Still it's pretty amazing." Yamato left Kakashi then to help with clearing up, and preparing the dead for cremation. The creatures would surely rot the earth if they were left to decompose, plus a couple of brave shinobi had lost their lives today...

Kakashi, being the paranoid control freak that he was, headed out into the outskirts of the forest, just to make sure all was clear. It wouldn't be much good if they were ambushed and killed while clearing up the mess, especially after having come out so much better than he had imagined, now would it?

He hadn't travelled very far before shouts could be heard back on the grassy meadow, disarray and confusion in the air. He wished that for once he could just be wrong about these bad things...

"Sakura! What the fuck man!" Naruto's voice echoed in the wide open space of the battlefield, catching attention from fellow shinobi nearby. The two were always fighting, but the urgency in his words and voice had him worrying. Kakashi emerged to see Naruto defending himself against an irate Sakura, her teeth sunk into his neck and a kunai driven into his abdomen. His gargled cries were surprisingly painful to Kakashi as he teleported to the scene, his arms wrapping around Sakura's flailing limbs and middle, pulling her away from the bleeding Naruto. "What's wrong with you?! I take your beatings, but to actually stab me?! You're crazy! She tried to kill me!" Naruto folded over in pain as he continued to shout, completely taken aback by Sakura's behaviour.

"Sakura!" Kakashi's fear was confirmed almost immediately.

"Kakashi you fuck! God I hate you! I'm going to kill you dead, and all your loved ones! You will watch them perish before I torture you to death, you understand me! I promise you, you will feel the worst pains imaginable! Arghh!!" Sakura writhed and wriggled in his arms, the abuse rolling out of her relentlessly, but he couldn't concentrate on much as he handed her to Gai, who pinned her to the ground and tried to sooth her with his flamboyantly gay words.

Kakashi fumbled with his hitai-ate, pulling it up to again reveal his whirling sharingan. He searched Sakura's eyes for the chakra line he needed, and sure enough it was there, but only faintly.

"What's wrong with her?" More shinobi were surrounding them, Sakura now facing false accusations. Kakashi had no time to explain as he filled his hand with chakra, cutting the chords in front of Sakura's eyes. She blinked back the fog, relaxing suddenly into Gai's solid wrestling hold. Kakashi didn't stay to check if she was okay as he pulled at the chakra chord fiercely.

"Where are you?" Kakashi muttered as he followed the trail deep into the forest. He heard someone chasing behind him, but ignored it as he followed onwards. And then he could smell him. He would recognise that foul stench anywhere. "Where the fuck are you hiding you coward?!" His voice reverberated among the trees, his unknown companion stumbling back in surprise.

"Kakashi? Who are you looking for?" Yamato caught up to him then, his eyes peeled for this mystery person, obviously a danger from the way Kakashi was acting. Kakashi didn't answer as he carried on walking, his fingers touching broken branches and overturned leaves.

"Where are you leading me? I'm not falling for any of your shit, not this time!" He turned on Yamato suddenly, his eyes burning with seriousness. "Go back! You'll just get yourself killed, or you'll kill me, though I'm sorry to say it will probably the first of the two situations. You don't understand the circumstances and I have no time to explain it." Kakashi hoped that would be enough as he headed on with his long awaited hunt. "Now!" He called back, just to make sure. He sighed with relief when he heard he wasn't being followed.

Kakashi pressed on, his veins pumping with anticipation. For years he had wanted to kill this prick, and he was so damn close, he could almost touch it, and he could definitely smell it. The trail continued on for what felt like hours, the night growing darker by the minute, but his trained shinobi eyes could make out his surroundings efficiently.

The trees had begun to thicken, and increase in number, making it hard to run as fast as he was. He regretted having to slow down, but he didn't want to do himself in before he caught up to the bastard.

The air around him seemed to thicken, the cold of the night nipping at the exposed part of his face. He could now see his breath float up in front of his eyes, before dispersing around him and disappearing. He quite licked to watch the steam dance in the air, watched as it soared freely into the ether, but he didn't have time to stay and watch this time.

His footsteps could be hardly heard as he used as he whispered through the scenery like a ghost, his chakra lowered and his presence hidden effectively, or at least he had thought so...

"Time to die!" Kakashi felt the corners of his mouth pull back into a cruel smile. His hair had always been a disadvantage in the dark, its pale colour like the flicking tale of an escaping prey.

"For you, you mean!" Kentaro landed where Kakashi had been a second earlier, his exuberantly decorated katana stuck far into the ground. Kakashi didn't wait for the next attack as he raced forward, his kunai crashing loudly with the blade of the now free, and once again threatening katana.

"Still as cocky as always I see?" Kakashi ignored Kentaro as he studied the chakra chords leaving from all over his body, reaching out in all directions without, it would seem, Kentaro even making any obvious effort. That was a new development, but it wasn't going to stop him. Kakashi jumped back a good distance, watching as Kentaro righted himself, dusting the muck from his obviously expensive clothing, his chakra chords waving around like he were a jelly fish. Kakashi could feel his heart rate increase, excitement exuding from him. He had to keep his head.

"Oh you are going to feel pain." He stated with a toneless voice, years of hatred pouring into his eyes. Kentaro grinned expectantly.

"I wouldn't want it any other way!" He charged Kakashi, sward brandished over his head like a samurai, his battle cry screeching through the trees surrounding them. Kakashi easily dodged his moves, his sharingan working as well as ever. His body could feel the physical fatigue take over and tug at his muscles from the previous battle, but his mind ignored it, overriding any inclination to wince or rest. "You've gotten slower captain perfect!" Kakashi ignored his jibes, not rising to the bait.

Kakashi swerved to a stop as Kentaro used some kind of repelling jutsu, and dived into a tree as he pulled out some scrolls from his top pockets, throwing two open across each other. He bit his thumb releasing his crimson blood, his hand seals already in action. With a shout, the two scrolls rose off the ground and flew towards Kentaro, his sward slashing them to pieces.

"Is that it?!" He screamed, his eyes bulging and red with his intense excitement. "You really are pathetic! All these years and you managed to get worse, even with your undeserved gift?!"" Kentaro laughed mockingly as Kakashi rested against the nearest tree. "What the -?" The pieces of torn scroll started to come together again, weaving their way around Kentaro's legs and up over his abdomen. "This is a fucking forbidden jutsu!!" Kakashi's smug smile didn't help with Kentaro's temperament.

"Yeah, only to those who don't have the ability to do it." Kakashi tapped the left side of his head, drawing attention back to his spinning sharingan. "With my increased ability in sight, and its brilliant jutsu and chakra control, my undeserved gift and I are a lot better than you think" Kentaro roared in rage as he began ripping away at the tiny forming strips. Kakashi began to chuckle, his voice thick with patronism.

Kentaro struggled for a while before Kakashi felt it was time to finish him off. He had made the mistake of taking his sweet ass time before, and look where that had gotten him.

"It's funny how much you haven't improved. Your form is still sloppy, and the way you hold yourself says 'insecure', which means you have nothing to be confident about in your abilities. You rely too heavily on your controlling power that you've forgotten what it's like to be powerless. And I will love to remind you, oh god will I love it." Kakashi's mind raced through so many perfect scenarios that he had been recently playing over on how to destroy the pathetic mess in front of him, but which one would be best? He wanted him dead sure, but he wanted it done right. He wasn't one for torture, though he would have liked to have made an exception. And even though he wanted to draw the whole thing out, revenge just wasn't what it was cracked up to be...

Kakashi's thoughts were disturbed by a sneak attack from behind. His keen senses picked up the movement of Kentaro's chakra, which was quite surprising. The strings of paper were circling the struggling creep in front, but Kentaro still managed to angelically move his controlling chords for great distances, weaving them through the trees and round behind him.

Kakashi fortunately, was a much better shinobi. He jumped from his ground position immediately, relocating to a higher, more safer location. Kentaro began to laugh manically, which soon turned to gargling as he performed some hand seals. Kakashi was quite taken aback when he performed a powerful fire jutsu on himself, effectively burning him to the skin. He screeched and dropped to the ground, rolling around frantically trying to stifle the flames.

Kakashi was quite impressed with the improvisational technique; realising Kentaro had more balls than he had first thought. But enough of this.

Kakashi joined Kentaro on the forest floor, attacking instinctively. Kentaro somehow managed to roll away from under his kunai, disappearing into the foliage. His voice rang out as he continued to laugh.

"You are so predictable! Kick a man when he's down eh?! You would stoop so low? Just for me?" Kakashi hated that he had somehow made himself sound more special than he was, but he was going to kill him, so it didn't matter what he said really. "I remember the day I took Ritsuka. She was so fat! I had to say I was pretty surprised you actually got together never mind knocked her up, but you know, whatever." Kakashi searched for Kentaro's chakra signature and smelled for his scent as he followed him into the thickets and leaves. "She ran, knowing what I would do, her hands over her ears and her eyes clamped shut, so very tightly. It was quite a funny sight to behold I'll tell you that, thought she did hold her own. How was she to know I had grown! How was she to know that she just had to hear my voice, muffled or not." Kakashi tried hard to hold his tongue as this pompous fuck continued to taunt him. "You know, she really is beautiful isn't she? When we made love, I loved most the noises she makes when you tease her nipples, that little breath and a quiet 'oh!'" Kakashi fell still as the memories of his sex life with Ritsuka returned to him. "And the way she would scream MY name when she came, back arching and toes curling. God aren't those the best bits? And her talented tongue speaks for itself!" Kakashi gripped his kunai tightly, a rikiri building in his hand slowly. "Speak for itself? Get it? It was a pun you moron! She uses her tongue to speak, you know? Never mind, my talent is wasted on you..." Kakashi had had enough.

Kentaro sat above him in the canopy of the trees, his smile glinting in the sunlight, unashamed of his currently naked state. Kakashi pushed from the ground with chakra bursting through his feet, kicking off the surrounding tree trunks for speed as he raced after Kentaro, who seemed to be enjoying their little game of chase. Kakashi's face stung as branches and leaves whipped by him, his legs burning as he exerted himself to his limits. Maybe he had underestimated Kentaro despite his efforts not to, but it was going to end now.

"I think the best part was when she first told me she loved me, it really makes you feel, special, doesn't it?" Kakashi ignored the pang in his heart as he continued his wild goose chase, his strategic mind finally cornering the basterd into areas of explosive tags he had been dropping behind him as he ran. "Did she ever say it to you?!" Kentaro laughed again, his insane eyes staring cruelly back at Kakashi. "I wouldn't think so. She told me once that she had grown bored of you, that she just didn't want to split up with you because she knew you were alone without her, that you needed her, that you would probably end your life without her around. If only it were true, and I wouldn't have to dispose of you like this..." Kentaro started making seals as he spun round and stopped on the nearest branch, Kakashi's sharingan following and horribly recognising the jutsu. A chakra seeking missile like attack that was only stopped when blood had been spilled, and there wasn't just one of them. There were millions of them, lots of tiny, poisoned senbon, so that even if you managed to get only one to hit you and draw blood, death was still inevitable if untreated within five hours.

Kakashi dived into the thick trees of the forest floor, weaving and diverting as he screamed like a torpedo through the dark. It was impossible to avoid them, and he knew it, but he had to make sure Kentaro was also in the line of shot. He had to die.

Kakashi would have probably run forever had he not been grabbed unceremoniously by a tree branch, closely resembling a certain Yamato that he had ordered to return to camp.

"I knew you were heading to get yourself killed. You've been exhausted by your sharingan and chidori's, yet you continue to find these maniacs..." Kakashi could have kissed the man as he felt the wooden cocoon that he was currently wrapped up in vibrate with the deafening thuds of the millions of senbons hunting for Kakashi's blood.

"You need to let one get me for this to end." Yamato sighed as he opened a tiny hole in the top, allowing three to catch Kakashi in the upper arm. "Ow! Jesus one! Not twenty!" Yamato chuckled fondly as he released his friend from his protective hold.

"Oops?" he offered, shrugging his wooden shoulders. "What was that attack anyway, I've never seen or heard of it." Kakashi felt that Yamato knowing the truth would not be very beneficial right now.

"I'll explain later." Kentaro could be heard screaming in the distance, his curses and taunts pushing Kakashi to the end of his temper.

"Who the fuck is this?! I had you! You scum bag, I had you!" Kakashi breathed heavily as he held his arm protectively. "I guess all is not lost." Yamato went to move, but Kakashi stopped him subtly, his knowing look telling Yamato that he had a plan.

"I've already taken the antidote!" Kakashi had to somehow draw Kentaro closer, thought the sacrifice in Yamato finding out was rather as expected.

"They were poisonous? We have to get you back! Leave this to me and go back." Yamato was so predictable...

Kentaro started racing along the canopy, his senses blinded by his rage, his hands flying together in another murder attempt. He however was quickly distracted as four exploding tags erupted below and above him, knocking him to the forest floor. Kakashi was on him in a second, his chidori screeching and fading as it burned into the mud under Kentaro.

"And so ends the 'epic' tale of someone no one remembers, nor even cares to try." Kentaro cursed profusely as Kakashi removed his arm swiftly; blood streaming out and covering them both. Kakashi didn't even look back as he listened to Kentaro's gargling threats, and smiled sadly as he felt his tormentor's life dwindle and eventually fade away to nothing.

**Woohoo! over 5,000 words ^.^ yey!**

**I hope everyone is still having fun reading this! Has taken me an awful long time to get nowhere, i have to admit... My first story was full of skipping years at a time and now this is full of maticulous detail... there is no compramise!! but i hope it's not too much!**

**Thanks to everyone who is still sticking with me, and thanks so much for the feedback ^.^ makes me smile XD**

**Have a good one! Peace!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Yamato was by Kakashi's side, pulling his arm round his shoulder to stop him from falling to his knees. His wooden clone now lay discarded at the base of the tree, Yamato having obviously understood the necessity for him to stay away from Kentaro. Kakashi's body shivered and jerked violently as the poison pumped round his veins, his vision wavering and blinding him as he tried to speak, though he couldn't help but smile softly.

"Five... hours..." Yamato nodded as he pulled on Kakashi's arm to get better leverage, jumping up into the branches of the canopy above. The light of the early morning burned their eyes, Kakashi wincing as he buried his face into Yamato's shoulder. A headache was pushing nastily at his motivation to move, kicking violently at his will power to stay awake.

"Hang in there! It won't take long to get back and then we can get Sakura to..." and then it struck Yamato then that Sakura would be indisposed for god knows how long. Kakashi nodded, knowing he would find a way through this, Yamato was never one to let him down. "I'll work something out. Ino is pretty much the same level these days..." Yamato trailed off a little as he continued to plan aloud, Kakashi desperately trying to hang onto his words as a distraction to keep him awake.

Yamato pressed on at a speed Kakashi couldn't keep up with, his legs fumbling feebly as Yamato took most of the weight, and carried on as if he didn't mind. Kakashi would mutter his apologies, but would end up just wincing and covering his eyes in pain at the effort.

"I'm just sorry I wasn't sooner. I realised that you didn't want me with you to end up like Sakura, so I hoped, I guess, that clones were excluded... you're not mad at me are you? Because I did disobey a direct order..." Yamato had decided to ignore that point up until now, panic finally setting in. He would give anything to protect his close friend, but knew that Kakashi was not a prideful man, and his warnings would have been for the best and not for some kind of power trip or glory hounding.

"s'okay..." Yamato slapped his head in frustration.

"Sorry, just don't think about it, or talk. You can explain later. Save your energy!" Yamato felt his heart race with relief as he saw the village walls in the distance, Kakashi's survival seeming to look that much more promising.

...........

"So Four and Four today then?" The ninken all nodded, four of them heading off to their respectful posts, and the other four curling up next to a now smouldering fire. Ritsuka pulled together all the plans she had made through the night, her scrawl all over the map and various ripped pieces of paper. Kisuke smiled softly as he watched her check, and recheck everything.

"Well, you should get some rest too Ritsuka, you look tired." Kisuke had placed his hand gently on her shoulder, steering her away from the tree stump towards her son and his group. "I'll take care of sorting the shifts for the shinobi out, you sleep." Ritsuka tried to argue, but the pulling from Pakkun as he warningly bit at her borrowed trousers had her giving up.

"Alright! Alright. Just wake me if there's a problem, will you?" Kisuke nodded as he walked off, his hand waving over his head. She knew he wouldn't but she felt like she should say it.

"Sleep!" Was all he called back as she made her way cheekily back over to the stump. And so she finally headed to her bed with jumbled thoughts, the sun signalling the beginning of another day, and still no word from Kakashi...

Ritsuka smiled as she heard the happy voices of the kids as they fussed over her excitedly. It was just what she needed to get to sleep. Even Tidus was laughing again, which filled her with relief that something was going right at least.

"Are you going to stay with us? And sleep?" One of the younger girls chirped over the others, obviously very excited about it all.

"Sure!" Ritsuka laughed as they all cheered happily, rearranging all their bed spreads to climb up into the same tree as Ritsuka... "Uh... I don't think we'll all fit." She laughed shyly at their dejected looks, but began to help them into the bends and folds of the branches of nearby trees. Some complained that they had received a raw deal, having a bump or a burr sticking into their sleeping station, but soon got comfortable and waited for their much missed bedtime story time. Ritsuka scrabbled around her head for one, knowing that one of them would ask for it very soon.

"Can we get a story?" and there it was, one of the youngest boys, his eyes wide and expectant as he watched her anxiously from his dangerously high perch.

"I guess I could sort something out." Ritsuka finished her 'tucking ins' and general checkups on the kids before she cleared her throat, and began on an epic tale of elves, wizards, dragons, dwarfs and princesses, the kids marvelling at her imagination, which incited a little pride in herself. She loved how their believing eyes would dance on her, like all her stories were true. She loved to watch them light up at the highlights of her telling, and the way they would worry for the characters as if they were real. She also did her best to fill her tales with life dilemmas and controversial scenarios, to help them develop a sense of right and wrong, and to be able to see the grey in-betweens as well. She felt it was her duty to bring them up properly, rather than leave them to disappear into a crowd. It would however make her feel a little guilty at the last couple of days, how she hadn't really been there for them the same, but Kakashi had forbid her from seeing too many people at once. Apparently she was killing herself with memories...

Though she would have to admit, with the kids, what amazed her most was Tidus, his eyes following her as if he could actually see her. Of course he was just adjusting to her voice's position, but even as she walked around, his eyes would follow her. The only evidence that he was blind at all was the paleness of his pupils, the lack of colour surrounding them. And of course his ability to get himself into severe trouble at the most complicated of times... It made her sad to think about it. She would have to work closely with him when things had calmed down, maybe see if she could help him develop a way of being able to see...

As the sun began to push its rays across the hills and valleys of the landscape, Ritsuka left her story on a minor cliff hanger, urging them to sleep and ready themselves for the testing trek ahead of them. It would be no use if they were too shattered to walk tomorrow now would it?

......

Yamato placed Kakashi down onto the ground, laying him out flat while throwing a cloak over the top of him. He reassured his friend as he called out for Shikamaru, having noticed him chatting with Kiba in the distance. Both shinobi were at Kakashi's side at once, questions falling from them.

"Where's Sakura?!" Yamato cut in, painfully aware of his time running out.

"She's out for the count. I'll get Ino." Shikamaru was off, Kiba close behind him.

"I'll get Hinata! She is usually good with this stuff." Yamato began to feel the panic properly set in, Kakashi's pathetic coughs worrying him. Kakashi hadn't been clear enough, was one needle five hours? or was three? Did it matter the dosage? Or was it generally five hours... he had no idea!

"What's the situation?" Ino was on her knees checking Kakashi's vitals, as Hinata stood beside Yamato, her byakugan searching for anything. Yamato relayed what had happened and Ino stared confusedly at him. "So we have no idea what the poison is?!" She was beginning to fall to pieces, her confident entry withering away. "I can't do this!" she shrieked, her lack of confidence in herself surfacing violently and very suddenly. Yamato tried to calm her.

"You _have _to do this! You don't have a choice. Kakashi needs you, and you have the knowledge, now use it." Ino tried to cool herself, fanning her hands in front of her face as Hinata continued her search.

"Ino." Hinata's voice was barely heard over Ino's panicked 'you can do it's. "His breathing is laboured and I can see where the poison is. It is spreading from his arms and through his chakra paths. It must feed on chakra." Ino's eyes lit up as she looked around her.

"Okay, Hinata, I want you to push the infected chakra back towards the wound, and take as much of it out of him as possible. While you do that I'm going to collect some herbs from the forest for the antidote." Yamato's heart rate dropped a little as he watched Ino race off to the forest, having dragged a rather disgruntled Shikamaru off to help her. Hinata smiled weakly to Yamato as she began to undress Kakashi's upper area, Yamato helping her by lifting the limp man into a sitting position.

"Thanks." She blushed madly as she tried to avoid looking at Kakashi's bare chest.

"He won't judge you don't worry." He couldn't help but tease her. Her blush increased tenfold, and he tried his best not to laugh.

"Y-yes." Was all she could stammer out as she slammed her fingers expertly into his points, seizing his chakra flow completely. "To stop the poison flowing..." she felt the need to explain herself as she continued to brutally attack the dying man. She suddenly stopped and changed the positioning of the chakra in her hands, placing them gently onto Kakashi's abdomen, her blush returning violently. Yamato held his tongue this time as he watched in amazement as she pushed slowly and firmly up his body, his skin pulling and reddening with the force.

"C... c... cold..." Kakashi's voice was weaker than ever, but seemed to scare Yamato out his skin none the less.

"Just hang in there." Yamato felt a little silly repeating himself, but what else could he say? Hinata smiled happily when Ino returned, still pushing and pulling at Kakashi as she tried to control the 'chakra eating' poison.

"Okay, I just need to mash this lot up and I'm pretty sure it will work!" Yamato stopped her there.

"Pretty sure?!" Ino shrank back as she smiled sheepishly.

"I had to substitute, but I'm sure it will be okay. I have all the active ingredients; just a couple are from a different source is all." Yamato wanted to argue some more, but they didn't have time.

"You're the medic..." he hoped for Ino's sake that she was right.

Ino crushed up the leaves quickly, her fingers fumbling with her tools. She cursed and apologised a few times, the stress really beginning to get to her. Before Yamato could come up with the reassuring words she probably needed, Shikamaru had placed his hand softly on her shoulder, offering her a smile. Such a simple act that seemed to have a huge impact. Ino calmed immediately, taking a deep breath, and continued to fix up the antidote.

And soon enough Yamato was forcing Kakashi to swallow the clumpy mixture, almost drowning him as he tried to wash it down with water from his pack. Kakashi gurgled and coughed most of it up, just to have it all shoved back into his mouth and forced down again. Yamato didn't enjoy it in the slightest, but it had to be done. Eventually Kakashi's instincts fell away, and he began to comply, finally understanding what was going on.

"He needs to keep most of it down, and the rest we need to rub into his wound. Then Hinata, if you don't mind, can you pull it all out? I'm worried my chakra control will fail at the critical moment, and we don't have enough time to be making mistakes." Hinata nodded, trying to avoid showing her awkwardness about the whole thing. What would Kakashi think of her if he woke to find her feeling him up with his shirt off... She felt her blush burn her cheeks again, earning another confused look from Kiba

Ino gave the signal, and Hinata cleared her mind, bringing forth her byakugan once more. She could see the immense difference that the antidote was making, and found that the poison was much more malleable than before. So she pushed and pulled as she had done before, almost laughing in relief as the last of the greenish substance dripped from Kakashi's now heavily bleeding arm.

"Thank god!" Ino exclaimed, lying on her back on the ground as she allowed herself to relax. "And there doesn't seem to be any immediate adverse reactions either. All in all, a success I would say." She laughed tiredly as she sat back up again, claiming that a good sleep wouldn't go a miss right about now, or a good days sleep as the case may be. "Kakashi should do the same." Yamato nodded as he hoisted his friend over his shoulder.

"You were great. You should have more confidence in yourself." Ino blushed and waved the compliment away, trying to be modest, though her grin didn't help.

"It was nothing." Yamato carried Kakashi over to the wooden house he had built, taking him upstairs and placing him into his bed sheets. Kakashi fought a little with his attempts, but his weakened state had him failing miserably.

"Doctor's orders." Yamato shrugged exaggeratedly. "You almost died, I think it's a good idea." Kakashi kicked off the lower parts of the blanket Yamato had just placed on him, an obvious and rather comical act of defiance. "Kakashi! Don't make me tie you up. You know how Gai feels about being left out of these things." Kakashi stilled himself immediately, all too aware that Yamato wouldn't feel bad about releasing the green beast upon him.

"So... cruel..." Yamato laughed evilly, as if to reiterate his point. He re-tucked Kakashi in and sat down on the floor next to him.

"Well, when you wake up, you've got a lot of explaining to do..." Kakashi groaned as he felt his world slow down to black.

.......

Ritsuka woke with a start.

A cold sweat clung to her skin as if she were lying in tar, her clothes winding dangerously tight around her body like a heavy net, trapping her to the ground. She barely noticed her covers were missing as her mind raced painfully with images and memories, the whole experience almost inciting a panic attack within her, but her shinobi training had her calming down within seconds.

Her shinobi training!

Everything in her life suddenly clicked into place, a major headache accompanying it nicely, though she would have expected it no other way. Her hands quickly rushed to her mouth as she tried to catch the sobs that were beginning to attempt an escape, stilling her breathing and body as she controlled herself expertly. Her head felt like it was literally open, and all the elements were piercing it with evil and agony. She refrained from curling up and killing herself, though she prayed desperately for death.

She had to get out of here.

She had managed to keep quiet enough not to wake anyone as she stumbled tiredly away from the massive group, her head spinning uncontrollably. She had to find somewhere quiet.

What on sweet bloody god's earth was going on?

Once she was clear of her sleeping charge, Ritsuka raced alongside the nearby trees on the outskirts of the thriving forest, thankful of the breeze the cool afternoon had to offer as it stroked her face soothingly and pulled at her hair, taking her mind off her pain only slightly.

She sniffed hard as she suppressed more tears, annoyed at her weakness as of late. She really had forgotten herself, but now she knew.

Ritsuka's eyes stung as she slowed down at the edge of the river they had been following, her muscles screaming in disgust. She crouched down sluggishly, placing her fingertips into the freezing water. She watched carefully as the ripples moved out from her intruding appendages, trying with all her might to concentrate on anything but her memory. It was strange how much she had wanted to remember, yet how intensely she now regretted it. She splashed some of the ice cold water onto her face, trying to wake her from this cruel nightmare. But alas...

The sun reflected on the surface of the moving water, it rays washing over her surroundings. It gave a nice illusion of peace, though she knew once she returned to her following villagers, this moment would be lost. She would have loved to have taken it in fully, appreciated it and savoured it, but her piercing headache and suppressed memories were tormenting her to the point of distraction. She had to focus on something else, anything else! She slid her fingers through the grass beneath her, trying to feel for slight differences in texture and temperature. The wind continued to pick up, which helped her concentrate, the leaves on the trees rustling deafeningly. She could feel cool drops of rain fall on her skin, but her mind had somehow still managed to wonder too far.

Horrible scenes unfolded in her mind's eye all at once, like someone had dropped a movie screen and forced her to watch. She could remember how she felt, remember what she thought, remember their names...

How could she have possibly forgotten so much?!

Shinzu and Hikaru's beautiful faces morphed into torment as she watched them suffer at the hand of Kentaro, and then fade into lifelessness as they were cruelly stolen from her. The opaque glazed look in their eyes was as painful as if it were happening there and then, their emotionless faces staring at nothing, their souls having moved on to a better place.

And it had all been because of her.

The surroundings changed as she battled with a fight she had never won, onto a battlefield of dying people, their cries for help, and even death, echoing in her ears as she tried to clamp her eyes shut, but the resolution only seemed to increase.

She felt as people pulled at her, calling for her to fix them, their disappointed faces when she told them she could only hold their hand and watch them die, could only bandage and dress the wound that would never heal. Years of counselling and combating her inner demons seemed to vanish in an instant as everything came to her so raw.

The funeral of her beloved friend, teacher, and Hokage. The ear piercing screams she would release into her pillow at night as she waited for Kakashi to return, to help her through her time of need like she had done for him. Oh how she had waited.

Missing Jiraiya when he too had left her high and dry with a team that she just couldn't be the same with. No family or close friends to hold her together as she split at the seams. People pretending to know how she felt, pretending to care when they obviously didn't.

And when her life was heading in a good direction? Kentaro came along and ruined everything. His hands on her skin, forcing her to believe lies, making her do things she wished she could erase from history forever. The way he would make her scream his name like he owned her, his stupid ability making her forget everything. His cruel treatment of her, the dungeons she was kept in, the life of 'just hanging on' she was forced to live...

She felt so dirty, her heart ripping in agony as she thought of Kakashi's disappointment at her betrayal. Her disgusting behaviour made her feel physically sick, her life with Kakashi surely ruined...

Not even the punishments she received would be enough to fix anything, scar after scar after scar... the failed suicide attempts, desperate and wasted tears. Nothing was going to save her...

Years of depression and loneliness, pretence and ultimately failure.

The faces of those she witnessed die.

The faces of those she killed.

The faces of those she couldn't save, because she was too weak.

The loss of family, or, what she had that resembled family.

Her father's harsh words and heavy hands.

The countless fights for her life that she went through, and for what?!

Suffering.

Death.

Despair.

Darkness.

Loneliness.

The human race filled with evil and wrong doers; rapists, paedophiles, murderers, liars, betrayers... The list went on and she was guilty herself of a couple of them.

Ritsuka's hands flew to her throat as she felt it clamp shut under the pressure. She was having a breakdown, and there was no one she would talk to. Again, she was alone... Suicide had entered her mind often as she was growing up, but all of it hit her at once, her veins throbbing as they waited for the release they needed, for her blood to spill and drain away, taking with it her useless and undeserving life.

"Ritsuka?!" Pakkun's panicked voice tore through her consciousness as she felt a nip of pain in her hand. Her mind began to clear as she opened her eyes, her body shivering at the low temperatures of the water she found herself in.

"What the - ?" Pakkun blinked back at her, his teeth sunk into her hand that held a sharp stone.

Covered in blood.

Ritsuka gulped as she checked herself, fully aware of what she would find. "I... I don't know what..." Pakkun continued to study her as she dropped the stone, watching as it plopped into the water and sink out of sight. She covered her arms and legs up as she stepped out of the water and redressed herself, blushing madly that the little dog had caught her in her underwear. Though it could have been worse...

"Kakashi worried that this would happen. He spoke to me just after he pulled you out of the forest." He stared seriously at her, his knowledgeable eyes calculating. "_He_ is near isn't he?" Ritsuka froze. God she hoped not.

"No. This was different." Ritsuka didn't really know how to continue as she stared down at Pakkun, fidgeting with her clothing to cover her wounds. She would have to bandage a few...

"How so?" Pakkun knew she wasn't telling him everything, and Ritsuka smiled that she could remember him always being like that. "I'm not fooling around here kid." It was funny how he would relate to her as if she were younger than him, even though she helped raise him. Another smile.

"I know." Ritsuka felt nausea take her she stumbled back towards camp. Pakkun followed, but his cold eyes were still on her. She could almost feel his intensity. "I remembered." She turned to see his reaction, and was pleased to see he had let up on the angry parent role.

"Really?! How much?" Ritsuka tried her best to avoid thinking, though it was proving to be quite difficult.

"Everything I think..." He picked up on her sudden depression, sitting in front of her with his paw outstretched, signalling for her too to stop.

"Is that what made you harm yourself?" Ritsuka cringed at his straightforward nature. She nodded sheepishly, tugging at her sleeve as she tried to magically elongate it. "Times are tough, but it is a selfish choice." Ritsuka felt a pang of pain as he spoke, ashamed that she had resorted to such a thing, even if she had no control...

"I know." It was her generic answer at times like these.

"Then why did you do it?" Pakkun seemed perplexed. "What do you think Kakashi will say? It will break his heart and you know it!" he was always very protective of his blood master.

"It's just... everything..." Tears left her eyes as she cursed softly, her legs giving way as she slid to the ground into an uncomfortable heap. She resumed the foetal position as she rocked on the ground, her body vibrating with the effort not to scream. Pakkun's tongue on her cheek surprised her greatly, breaking her from her moment of weakness. "I don't know what's wrong with me..." Her voice drifted as she spoke, her eyes open but not looking.

"I think you need a rest." Pakkun had no idea what was going on. All this human stuff was a mystery to him at times. Ritsuka nodded as she lifted herself back to her feet, her hand placed firmly to her forehead.

"Maybe." She couldn't help but feel like Pakkun had demeaned her entire existence. She knew he meant well, and probably had no idea what was going on, but did he need to make it out that her inevitable self destruction was a simple case of fatigue? "I still have a few hours I suppose." The two walked back to the camp silently then, both unsure on how to continue their talk. Ritsuka was the first to speak when she reached her makeshift bed. "I'll see you tonight then. Get this lot moving again. Hopefully we will get to the marsh lands either tomorrow morning, or the morning after." Pakkun nodded as he waited for Ritsuka to get into bed. She fumbled with some bandages tiredly as she tried to stifle the still bleeding cuts, and was soon set for sleep.

"Don't overdo it. And sleep." The grumpy dog ordered as he wished her a good night's sleep before trotting off back to his post. He was going to have to keep a better eye on her, and Kakashi will need to be told.

**Herro! so the long awaited moment we've all be waiting for... Ritsuka remembers!!!**

**I supose it's probably not how everyone was expecting it to go mind... but i hope everyone still enjoying things! **

**Thanks to all those who have been keeping with me and putting up with my slowness . but we still have ages to go believe it or not. The dams have broken and the ideas are flooding! **

**so thanks again for being here and hope to see u in the future.**

**let me know what u guys think!! XD**

**peace! **


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Kakashi woke with a killer headache and his insides churning nastily. He fumbled clumsily with his blankets, tossing them blindly to the side as he raced sluggishly down the stairs and out of the little house. His vomit left a rather horrible metallic taste on his tongue that seemed to start digesting his throat and mouth rather quickly. He hoped and prayed that none of his students popped round to see him, being rather proud that none of them had seen his face still, and this definitely was not how he wanted them to find out how he looked. It was not the most flattering of poses he could pull.

Luck would have it that he had been safe, but his stomach told him it was only one of many similar occurrences for the next few days. Why was it always him? He couldn't help the selfish intruding thought as he wiped his mouth and fixed his mask back in place, the fabric beginning to smell a little...

But on the plus side he was alive!

He breathed in the cool air of the evening, savouring that moment that seemed to occur all too many times. The moment where you realise you've just cheated death once again. He smiled softly to himself as he felt his body protest to his now vertical position, but he ignored as he let the breeze dance across his face and pull gently on his hair, breathing in life and all its goodness.

"Kakashi!" Ino's voice sounded relieved as she ran towards him, stopping a few paces in front when she realised she didn't really know what to do. "Um... how do you feel?" Kakashi chuckled softly as he walked past the girl to the group of rather frustrated looking shinobi.

"Just splendid. Thanks." His eye curved up to signify his smile, and Ino squeaked in excitement.

"I'm so glad you're okay! We were all so worried, and I wasn't sure you would be up to anything once you woke up, if you woke up." Kakashi just waved his hand to say he was alright and joined the group as they planned.

"We were just saying that it should take maybe a day to catch up on the others, though with our villagers that stayed behind it will take a little longer. Gai was saying that we should just split the group, one catching up to the evacuees and the other staying with the others until we all reach the capital." Yamato was bringing him up to speed. He didn't even ask if Kakashi was feeling better, or if he was up to planning. Good old Yamato. Kakashi did love it when no fuss was made, and the man had learned well. "What do you think?" Kakashi thought for a few moments before responding, making sure that his groggy state wasn't affecting his logical mind.

"Well, we have no way of knowing if all the creatures are gone yet, and where they came from, so that still has to be sorted out, but I think it would be best to go with Gai's plan." Kakashi tried his best not to roll his eyes when he heard Gai 'yes!' in the background, tried to ignore his imagination as he watched Gai do some gay-ass dance that would embarrass him... "However, I would also like another band of shinobi to conduct a search and possible destroy mission, that way we can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. A third group will stay behind with these brave villagers, and ensure their safety until we reach the next checkpoint." Everyone in the group nodded, Shikamaru groaning at the lack of sleep in the foreseeable future. "How is Sakura by the way?"

"She's snoring loudly in the tent." Naruto moaned, obviously having missed out on some much deserved sleep. Kakashi noticed how he rubbed his stomach subconsciously, confusion still quite evident. It was then that he realised that no one had a clue about what was going on, even Yamato. Kiba voiced that thought almost instantly, sparking a suspicion that maybe he was psychic and in Kakashi's mind. Of course this was absurd, but still... You can never be too careful...

"What the fuck is going on man? Sakura went pure nuts and get laid into Naruto, you come back almost dead? And Yamato doesn't even know what's going on and he was with you!" Kiba was obviously frustrated, his hot headed attitude releasing itself as a fury that Kakashi was in no mood to deal with. But this was a discussion with fellow shinobi that were risking their lives at his command without question so far, and he would have to treat it as fairly as possible.

"I know. Things have been a bit of a rollercoaster these past couple of weeks." Kakashi surveyed the circle of people, their eager faces watching him closely as if their life depended on his next words. They deserved to know what they were potentially dying for. "I only fully understood what was causing all this when I saw Sakura. That technique is very rare, a bloodline limit, and I have only known one person to have mastered it. His name was Kentaro." The group all flinched as Gai jumped to his feet, his arms flailing in the air.

"Cover your ears and eyes everyone! This boy is nothing more than evil! We must protect ourselves and each other!" Kakashi put his head in his hands as he felt the anticlimax of Gai's words fall on him. He almost full blown smiled when he then realised the lack of threat they had anymore.

"Gai, sit down." The green blur continued to protest that it was a matter of safety, and in everyone's interest to do what he said, but quickly rounded on Kakashi with a threatening finger pointed in his face.

"Just sit down should I? Kentaro!" Kakashi could feel his frustration filling the air, everyone trying to calm the loud shinobi. "You are obviously under his spell! My dearest friend and rival! How I loved thee." Kakashi had to put a stop to this before his head exploded in pain. Gai's voice was definitely not a cure for the common headache.

"Gai! He's dead. I killed him just... how long have I been asleep?" Yamato looked up to Kakashi, his face contorted comically as he tried to stifle his laughter.

"A day and a bit." Kakashi looked back at Gai.

"Just a day and a bit ago, so relax." Kakashi readied himself for any surprise attacks. He would have to watch his back for a few days that was for sure...

"What is our score? If you were the real-"

"63, to me and 62 to you." Gai eyed him suspiciously.

"That was an easy one." Gai tapped his chin as he thought of better interrogating material. "What is my pet cat's name?" Kakashi raised his eyebrow.

"Gai, you don't have a cat, now can we please-"

"It is you! Forgive me for not noticing it from the beginning! But one last test must be passed!" Kakashi was beginning to feel his headache double as he watched Gai pace the small area in front of him, his finger pointed animatedly in the air while his other arm rest on his lower back, his eyebrows knitted in thought. "What is my favourite colour?" Kakashi ignored the gay pose the man had just suddenly pulled for effect, cringing inside as his friend continued to be a nuisance. Why did he always have to stick his ass out like that?

"It's a common misconception that it is either green or orange, but you really love all the colours equally because you think the rainbow is one of the most fascinating and beautiful things, apart from a good sunset or rise, that is in this world." Gai's eyes filled with tears as he listened to Kakashi's words, reciting them silently.

"Gai sit down!" Yamato was growing most annoyed with the man, not just at his stupid drama and wasting of valuable time, but the closeness that he was getting to his friend. He didn't like it when the two shared things he didn't know about. It reminded him that he knew nothing about Kakashi except general talk, and how he didn't seem to have the same connection with him. Yamato strived to have the same thing with Kakashi, but remained to be kept at arm's length of him. Gai however eventually hugged the silver haired shinobi, as if to further annoy Yamato, his apologies ringing out into the night.

"Anyway!" Kakashi was relieved that that was over. "As I was explaining. It's the usual Konoha betrayer story, greed got the better of them, and they try to take what they want, get stopped and vow to kill everyone one day. Except Kentaro wasn't interested in power, he was interested in a person, in this case, Ritsuka. His ability was that he could control people with just his words. All he would have to do was get inside your head with chakra, which could be done by just the sound of his voice, and you were his. He killed his team leader and friend by this method, making them kill themselves, and tried to steal away Ritsuka." He really didn't see the point in going much deeper. The rest of the group however felt slightly cheated by the obvious lack of details. "So I stopped him. My sharingan having a unique contrast in that I can see how his technique worked, helped avoid him and made me impervious to his attacks. He however slipped away for what seemed like forever." Kakashi tried his best not to roll his eyes as Gai began to sob softly, knowing a little more of the story, and how it was going to go. "It was a few years later that Ritsuka eventually went missing, without a trace. Until we found her, only she knew what had happened. Kentaro however had grown stronger in this time, his abilities now increased in distance and power. He no longer needed to be heard clearly, just heard, even if your fingers are in your ears, he could get to you. Even the deaf can be caught when they see him, his sign language skills had improved greatly." Kakashi couldn't help but marvel at his son's helpfulness, surprised at the little things he remembered. "That's how he got Sakura, and he has been behind everything. The beasts, the attacks, everything. But now he's dead."

"Are you sure this time?" Gai seemed sceptical about the whole thing, Kentaro having escaped death before. Kakashi couldn't help the guilt that welled up inside.

"I'm pretty sure." Kakashi retorted, still slightly insulted by Gai's mistrust. Though a part of him felt that it was all far too easy...

"I am too. I felt his lifeline slip away before we returned. 100% sure actually." Gai nodded thoughtfully at Yamato's words.

"So these attacks should stop then?" It was Shikamaru this time who had spoken. Kakashi shrugged.

"We have no idea how much of it was controlled. By their behaviour, some of these attacks seem erratic, uncontrolled and pointless, but yesterday's battle showed that they were capable of strategies. The creatures also appeared to speak, I'm sure... Unless Kentaro was in control of everything and that's what he wanted us to think? Who knows... This is the point of the search and possible destroy mission. Any who are left may just go wild, killing anything and anyone. They might not, but their sheer power cannot be left to destroy the world."

"What if they, um... didn't mean it?" It was Hinata's panicked words that brought a whole new look on things, one that Kakashi had been playing with in his mind.

"And what if they did?" Kakashi retorted, though he kept his voice light. He was happy for a discussion. Hinata shrugged as she shied away, but Naruto's big heart kept the debate alive.

"What if they were controlled as well? We don't know the level of power this dude had! What if he could control them, that's why they were so clever yesterday?" Kakashi nodded thoughtfully, and others in the group seemed to grow more frustrated.

"That could be possible, but it would mean then that without Kentaro, they just attack innocent people, destroy homes and villages, continue on a blind rampage." Naruto cursed loudly at Kakashi, obviously getting emotionally involved, something the young shinobi would probably never grow out of.

"What if we could help them stop? What if we could... I don't know, teach them?" Yamato pulled a face that showed he was sceptical of the whole thing.

"What if we couldn't, what then?" Naruto stopped in his tracks as his brain painfully tried to resolve the issue.

"Do we need to kill them?" Kakashi shrugged as he thought, changing his plans slightly.

"We need to do what's best for the world, not just people. I mean, they tear up forests, pollute the water, uproot crops and eat all the food. What if they did overrun the place? They'd end up killing themselves in the end." Most of the group nodded in agreement, though Naruto stood his guard.

"I'll think of something, just you wait!" Kakashi smiled and laughed softly.

"I'm sure you will, and I'll be happy to consider it. For the mean time, we shall discuss our immediate plans. The search and destroy shall become a search and study. Yamato, you will need to go on this one, your ability will help us capture a few for the Hokage to look at. She is probably the best for studying the biological side of things." Yamato nodded and got to his feet, ready to move. Kakashi listed off some more names of Yamato's team, and they were soon off with their orders.

"What about me?" Naruto felt that since it was his idea, he should probably help with the dangerous task, but Kakashi had other plans.

"You are probably the fastest out of our group, and also the one with the most stamina. If you're up for it, I will need you to leave now and catch up with the evacuation group. Things seem to be going okay, but just encase, I need to know there is someone there of your abilities to protect them all." Kakashi knew that rubbing the boys pride would have him eager for his personal mission.

"You can count on me Kaka-san!" Naruto was on his feet and ready to go, when he slowly turned back nervously. Kakashi's already outstretched hand pointed in the direction the evacuees had left in. "Yeah I knew that!" And he was off like a shot.

"Okay the rest of us will split in two. I will take a group to the evacuees, and Gai you will be in charge of the group staying behind. Once all the villagers are awake head out in the same direction and we should meet at the rendezvous point. Also, Sakura will probably need escorted, so Gai that would be up to you to carry her. Being possessed forcefully is a tiring business." Kakashi got to his feet and separated the group, only taking a handful of shinobi into the forests.

**So... i know you guys are probably wondering were the feck ive been. im so sorry, but it was my last year at uni and i had a dissertation and exams and so on. but now im all finished and free to upload again!**

**please please don't hate me! *hides* **

**So yeah, havin to read over everything since i got so lost! but it's okay, i think im back on track. but if any discrepancies cum up, im sorry. just let me know and ill change it, if i can haha!**

**well thanks for reading! XD**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Ritsuka woke that night with a start. Her skin felt clammy as a cold sweat broke out, her hair sticking to her uncomfortably. Her cheeks were soaking, indicating more tears, and her chest clamped down painfully as she tried to sit up. She hadn't felt so much like shit in such a long time. She wasn't even sure it had ever been this bad.

_I suppose every time is the worst time if you think about it._

She wiped her face with her sleeve groggily and slipped out of her makeshift bed, her legs wobbling with the effort to stand. She wanted nothing more than to just go back to sleep forever right now, even the moon seeming to mock her as it shone particularly brightly tonight.

In the distance she could see some of the shinobi and nin-dogs already planning, the feeling of uselessness washing over her.

_So much for me leading this stupid thing._

She shook her head to remove the negative thoughts, her selfishness surprising her slightly. When had she become so paranoid?

Ritsuka got to work waking the kids, her fake smile in full motion as she told them everything was going to be alright, that yes they would eventually get to sleep a full night, and that no she wasn't trying to ruin their day by making them walk all night. It was hard work looking after kids, especially when they were used to eating and sleeping when they wanted.

"Hey, mum!" Her son's voice was like a little beacon of hope in her numb and apocalyptic state. Kyoya approached her quickly, though he never seemed to hug her in front of people. She understood that he felt a need to seem older and hugging your mother was embarrassing, but it still hurt. Understanding was a pain in the ass... "I had some extra water, and when I checked your bottle last night it was empty, so here." Kyoya was always so thoughtful, making up for the lack of physical affection.

"Oh no, no, no! You keep it. There's a river just up there, remember. I can fill up while you guys get ready." Kyoya fought back some more, his worry for her being more than evident, but Ritsuka was ridiculously stubborn at times.

"Fine, but do it now okay?" Ritsuka nodded and laughed softly, her mood lifting a little. Her life wasn't all bad. She still had her son with her. And Kakashi would be with her soon. She had to believe he was alive.

_I mean, he's one of the best shinobi I've ever known, he can't be dead... _

Ritsuka filled up a few water containers as she stared off across the river. A few other villagers had joined her, feeling a little more confident with someone in charge and in the know there with them. The problem with travelling at night was that you couldn't see as clearly as during the day. Shadows and things would move regularly, making everyone think it was a band of creatures. But now, with Ritsuka's shinobi training having returned, she could smell, sense and see much, much better. In fact, now that she was back to normal, she couldn't remember or even imagine being as weak as she was. And she was _so_ sick of crying.

The villagers were soon packed and ready to go, with Ritsuka back at the front being informed by her nin-dog company the plan for the night.

"We should be there by first light, meaning it will be much easier to climb. Are we still going for the first mountain then swamp approach?" Ritsuka nodded, her mind now in the game.

"We need to make sure the villagers stay as dry as possible to avoid illness and death. The swamp is our last option." Uuhei nodded energetically as he bounded in a circle three times. "So are we clear on our formation of the day?" Ritsuka inwardly smiled at her new use of technical language, enjoying the fact she could actually remember how this all worked. Everyone had noticed the change in her, Kisuke even having asked if she was feeling better. The ninken all barked back in unison, indicating they had understood, and they were off not a second later to acquire their posts.

"Are you sure you okay? You sound more... shinobi like." Ritsuka just smiled back, as she brushed her hair from her face, throwing her pack on and heading off on their journey. She had been only slightly annoyed that he knew she had forgotten her past, but supposed that Kakashi must have felt that he needed to know, being the head medic nin on this journey. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had remembered your past." Ritsuka's smile grew wider as she realised the triumph behind what had happened. Even though her thoughts were still of death and despair, the odd glimpse of the times she spent with Kakashi would flash up, their closeness and the things they used to get up to. "Why are you blushing?"

"Nothing. Yes I remembered, okay? Now, can we just drop it?" the playful tone in her voice had Kisuke laughing, but he did as he was told, and dropped the subject.

The day passed by rather quickly, with much coverage of their plan. The villagers seemed to be arguing and complaining less, though Ritsuka still had to stand her ground against a few unhappy mothers and fathers... Apparently they knew much better on how these situations should be handled...

The huge group finally came upon the hill that Uuhei had reported, and there was still some time left in the day. Ritsuka studied the area with her close group of shinobi and ninken, discussing the best way to go. Most of the villagers had come to voice their opinions on how they would be much better going through the swamp, but Ritsuka and Kisuke reasoned with them, explaining that the death tole could be potentially much higher with the swamp than the mountain due to illness. The villagers still contested, feeling they knew these lands better, and they had a point since they had lived here for years, but Ritsuka diffused the situation by assuring them that their views would be taken into consideration.

"You have a knack for this stuff. I'd have just told them all to get to fuck. We're in charge right?" Kisuke didn't seem like the asshole he was being right now, but Ritsuka figured it was probably just the stress of everything. Kakashi had always said she could keep a cool head when everything else seemed to fall to shit. It was later that she would get upset and fall to pieces... Or maybe Kisuke was testing her, to see how she really felt as she tried to politically handle the situation.

"You just have to put yourself in their shoes, you know? These people have had friends and family slaughtered for nothing, their homes destroyed, and now they are being uprooted from the very lands they were born in, where their families originate from. Plus they have to carry what little valuables they can, and children, old and sick, the list goes on. Some of these people have never walked this far, and it's not exactly easy. They're not shinobi, so we have to remember what it was like before we could harness our chakra as an energy source..." Ritsuka petered off as she watched Kisuke smile sheepishly and scratch the back of his head.

"I was just kidding, though; those are all very good points." Ritsuka blushed as she apologised frantically.

"Sorry, sorry, I just get too involved is all!" Kisuke laughter caught her off guard, but had her calming down eventually.

"You're crazy!" Ritsuka frowned and the playful jibe, pushing the still laughing shinobi. A small clearing of the throat from Pakkun told them, however, that playtime was over.

"Can we please continue our plans?" Ritsuka straightened herself out, turned to Pakkun, apologised, and started forward up the winding path.

"Alright, Uuhei, Shiba and Akino, the path breaks into three up ahead there. I want you to split up and give me the low down on each trail. The rest of you split up and set yourselves for look out. We haven't seen any Aranii so -"

"Any what?" Kisuke interrupted Ritsuka quickly.

"The creatures. They are called the Aranii. Anyway, we haven't seen any, though that doesn't mean they are not close, so, Bisuke, Bull and Guruko, a pan out search of behind us if you can please, and Pakkun you'll need to stay with me as an informant of any news." The ninken all nodded and disappeared off in their own directions, except Pakkun, who promptly sat down and scratched the back of his ear.

"What shall we do?" Kisuke seemed quite excited by the whole experience, which made Ritsuka feel all the more tired for some reason.

"If you've got that map there, I was hoping we could maybe go over some plans as to what to do after we get to the other side?" Kisuke nodded as he fumbled about in his pack for the map.

"Here it is!" He laid it out triumphantly on a nearby rock, using some stones to pin it down.

"Now this is where we will come out, hopefully, if we go by hill." Kisuke raised his finger to signify he was about to speak.

"Which is unlikely, since Uuhei said he thought it was too dangerous. Plus, you keep calling it a hill, but it's really a mountain." Ritsuka nodded slowly as she absorbed his words.

"Yes, but he didn't look at the whole hill did he? Or mountain, whatever. But either way, we will only be half a day's walk down this way if we go by swamp." she pointed to the predicted exit of the swamp. "Now if we are heading east, then we planned to go north didn't we, to stay in the forest. Hmm..." Ritsuka went silent as she rethought the plan, finger measuring the distances and playing with the idea of cutting through the massive expanse of land between the swamp and their destination. "It's just too risky isn't it?" Kisuke nodded as he looked back at the huge group that were taking their break below.

"Even if the Aranii, that is what you called them isn't it?" Ritsuka nodded. "Yeah, even if they aren't solely behind us, they might be here." he pointed to the forest they had planned to go through. "Or they could be here." Next was the forest to the far east, the meadow like land being between the two. "They might even already be at the bloody village we're going to for all we know." Ritsuka sighed as Kisuke descended into a pit of despair with each new possible outcome. "If you think about it, there really is no safe way at all..." It was Pakkun's turn to add some depression to the not so long ago positive outlook.

"Reporting: Uuhei has come to a dead end, Shiba says his runs off a cliff side and Akino is still going, but says it doesn't look good as his is narrowing down." Ritsuka slumped against a rock as she exhaled forcefully. This was hard work. It was like everything in the world was pointing to imminent capture and death...

"Anything from the others?" Ritsuka was hoping for some good news.

"So far so good. Nothing seems to be following us, but they are still going." Ritsuka nodded. Kisuke fumbled with the hem of his flak jacket as he inhaled to speak, but then chose not to. This carried on for a while more before Ritsuka cleared her throat expectantly.

"I was just going to say that maybe we should, um... cross the river and walk round?" Ritsuka eyed him as if he were mad.

"Did you not listen to Uuhei? The whole place is marsh land. It would take us almost double the time to wade through the marsh and around the hill. And we would need to cross the river. That's insane. Plus the forests are too thick over there, and if we are attacked, we won't be able to move back across the river with the base of the mountain cliffing into the water." Kisuke sighed dejectedly

"Oh yeah..." Ritsuka sighed, frustrated.

"Akino's path has been broken and is blocked off with fallen rocks. He says it would be impossible for the villagers." Pakkun seemed to be keeping his panned expression throughout this planning ordeal.

"Well, I guess its swamp time." Ritsuka pushed herself up from the rock she was slouched on and headed back down the crumbling pathway.

"Do you think we should let them rest up before we start?" Ritsuka was beginning to feel the full scope of the stress involved in leadership. Oh, how she had not missed it _at all_ over the years.

"I suppose it's probably for the best." There was no use starting the trek to find it was more than a day's worth. They had already pushed the villagers to their limits today.

Ritsuka headed to the bottom of the hillside and relayed the information to the awaiting shinobi. As they dashed off to tell the villagers of the plans, Ritsuka headed to her own charge. Apparently, in times of great stress and imminent death, kids could still find the time to play roll playing games, in this case, ninja wars. Ritsuka watched for a few moments, inwardly laughing at their obvious fantasies in a world of death. How blissfully innocent they all seemed to be.

Some of the older ones were going along with the vast and unrealistic imaginations of the younger ones, with dragons and elves helping each side out of course. It seemed to be the young against the old, the goodies versus the baddies, and they seemed to be having fun. They had even made a makeshift fort out of branches and rocks, and a dungeon which was a ditch near the base of the hill. Ritsuka longed to be part of it, her unsatisfied and cut short childhood still haunting her, her inner child broken and aching inside. She could never remember ever really playing such games, not even when she had found out she had a son. But now was not the time to get nostalgic and depressed.

"Mum!" Kyoya's voice sounded from inside the fort, his dirty face poking out one of the many gaps.

"Hey, I see you're all having fun." Kyoya blushed a little as he shrugged off his makeshift armour of twigs.

"Meh. We were just kidding around." Ritsuka picked his armour up and placed it back on him, dusting off some of the dirt from his face.

"That's fine! Don't go stopping on my account." She stood up as she ruffled her sons hair affectionately, earning a rather pitiful scowl from the young boy. "Oh cheer up!" she joked. She then turned to the rest of the group who had also stopped they're playing to see what was going on. "One more hour of playing, then we really have to get some sleep. Tonight we will be making our way across the swamp." Some of the kids seemed frightened by this prospect, but Ritsuka's confident smile and superhero stance seemed to cause an outbreak of laughter to take place.

"Isn't it going to be a bit dark to be wading through marsh lands? Anything could go wrong." Ritsuka dropped her stance and leant against the nearest tree, the last few days seeming to bring her energy levels down quite considerably. Of course, only a few of the older ones really caught onto it.

"Yes well it is our only option. But it will be fine. I will go fist and make sure the way is safe. A line of shinobi will go after me to ensure that I haven't missed any dangers, and the rest will follow in suit." The kids seemed to calm down a little at the thought of Ritsuka going first, but Kyoya was not impressed in the slightest.

"There you go again! Risking your life for everyone! When are you going to learn? Man I wish dad was... I mean Kakashi was here." Ritsuka felt a pang of worry hit her as Kyoya mentioned Kakashi's name, but was completely overrun by the strange fluffy and warm feeling that soared through her at the sound of Kyoya saying the word dad. "What?" Kyoya had obviously noticed it to, blushing as he tried to change the subject quickly. "Look I just don't think you're in the right shape to be doing it is all. Send Kisuke. He seems able enough. Kakashi made him second in command so he must be good for something." Ritsuka rolled her eyes as she pushed away from the tree.

"Yes second in command, making me first yes?" Kyoya knew what was coming next. "And I order myself to go first." She turned her body to face the opposite way. "Okay Ritsuka you're the boss." She flicked her hand off her forehead in salute to herself and switched back to her original position. "Good. I'm so corporative don't you think?" Kyoya slapped his hand to his forehead, unsure if he should be annoyed or embarrassed.

"You just don't get it do you?" He however seemed more frustrated than ever, which was a little unnerving. She knew he would eventually try and beat her sensible, but so soon?

The rest of the group seemed to just stay silent as the tension fell, making Ritsuka most uncomfortable.

"Okay everyone, an hour and then sleep okay?" Everyone nodded and went back to their groups, their shrieks and cries filling the air again. Ritsuka almost sighed out loud before she noticed her rather miffed son standing with his arms folded next to her. "Look, come here." She led him away from the group, hoping that she could keep any of his outbursts away from young ears. He had become prone to swearing these days, though she only had herself to blame. "I remembered. Everything." Kyoya's eyes opened wide as he came to a stop."

"Everything?" His excitement grew as Ritsuka nodded her head.

"Yup. Which means I can remember my techniques and fighting style-" Kyoya couldn't hold himself still.

"Have you tried anything?" Ritsuka shook her head nervously. "Why not?" He seemed so deflated.

"I just... what if... I can't? I mean it's been so long. Sure I might remember how to do it, but chakra control isn't really something you can just leave for a few years and come back to. It's like fitness. Practice makes perfect and all that..." Kyoya started removing his twig armour again as he spoke.

"Well you won't know until you try, so just do a small thing before you go big you know. So you don't kill yourself, if you don't mind. I know how you seem to be hell bent on dying young, but I would appreciate it if you could wait a few years..." Ritsuka rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "And even if you can't, you can learn how to again right?" Ritsuka nodded, her son's excitement getting the better of her. She took in a deep breath as she tried to calm herself, ready for some kind of moderate jutsu. But what should she do? There was so many flashing through her mind that it was hard to pick one...

Ritsuka felt her body tense as she heard an urgent howl sound through the air. Kyoya was by her side in an instant, his eyes expectant, and his hands shaking as he rested them on the hem of Ritsuka's jumper. She placed her own warm hands on his to still them and shushed him as she turned to head back to the group. That had to be one of the ninken. God, she hoped they were okay!

"Ritsuka! Situation!" Pakkun's low and panicked voice echoed around the stony terrain, Causing Ritsuka to jump in surprise. Even with her new found abilities, or old returned abilities, she was still getting used to using them. Kyoya cursed a few times earning an unimpressed look from Ritsuka.

"What is it?" Pakkun was at her feet now, his still non-affected expression not quite capturing the urgency of his voice.

"Aranii! They are coming in from the south west, and vastly approaching!" Another howl sounded. Pakkun's brow knitted in concentration. "And from the west." Ritsuka grabbed Kyoya round the waist and shot off towards the group, her new speed catching Kyoya off guard. She placed him gently on the ground next to the oldest of the group, Ichinose, kissed him gently on the forehead before speeding off to Kisuke.

"Ritsuka, did you hear that?" Kisuke was making his way towards her when a third howl filled the skies. "What the hell's going on?" Ritsuka turned to Pakkun who was sitting in thought once again.

"They also come from the east and are closing in. We have no time, we have to move! They will be here in two hours." Ritsuka bit her nails as she raced over to the group of shinobi, shouting out orders and sending groups of two and three to get the villagers moving.

"Ritsuka! What are we doing?" Ritsuka gave the last of her orders before turning to Kisuke.

"Sorry. We have to move. The Aranii are coming from all directions, behind, left and right. We have to move now. Pakkun recons we have a couple of hours before they get here. So we need to get through the marshes now. I'm going to go ahead and try and secure a way forward. I told a couple of groups to come back. Once they come together again, you lead them in after me and make sure everything is doubly safe okay?" Kisuke nodded his head, fear evident in his eyes. "It will be fine. We just need to get moving. Now I know the people are tired but try not to frighten them. All they need to know is that we can't stay here just encase. Don't tell them how close they are. The last thing we need is an all out panic!" Kisuke nodded again, though was staying strangely quiet. "Oh! And try and get everyone to tie themselves together somehow so we can move either in a single file or in twos. And no one deviate from the trail I leave. Depending on the depth, tall should carry small, weak should be supported and get then to try and not bring anything that will weigh them down." Kisuke was now getting his head in the game.

"What will the trail look like?" Ritsuka smiled sheepishly.

"I'm going to try and burn the grass." Kisuke pulled a face.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea. You've just remembered how. Have you even _tried_?" Ritsuka rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time.

"Why does no one have any faith in me? No one used to question my abilities, just my sanity, and now everything I say or do is subject to investigation!" Kisuke was still sceptical as he watched Ritsuka run off to the planned entrance of the swamp, Pakkun close behind.

"Ritsuka. As the one in charge of your well fare, I believe it is only right that I should warn you this will not be a pleasant experience for you." Ritsuka looked back over her shoulder, her playful scowl in place. "Using fire jutsu after years of no jutsu is just too ambitious!" She folded her arms in annoyance as she slowed down to a walk. "I'm not saying you can't, because you were once almost as good as Kakashi, though his sharingan advantage put him a step in front, I just don't want to get chewed out because I didn't warn you of the risks. Kakashi is surprisingly protective of you. Now I know you're going to do it, just let me help talk you through it, okay?" Ritsuka nodded, shocked into silence. She liked the bit about protective Kakashi. Very much so indeed.

Pakkun jumped softly onto her shoulder, his fur tickling her neck a little.

"Okay." She whispered as she stepped forward to the edge of the marsh. She wriggled her fingers to get them moving, and tried to imagine her chakra flowing. She had done this a million times. She could do it again.

"Now take your time with the seals, do you remember them?" Ritsuka nodded, a little annoyed at the patronising tone behind his voice. "Okay, what are they." Ritsuka listed them off as she made them fluidly, though her fingers ached a little from the weird positions she hadn't used in years. "Good. Now, remember to imagine your chakra circling on your finger tips, allowing them to light as you blow." Ritsuka did the seals again, this time fast, and blew on her fingers. She almost squealed in excitement when she saw the flames, but Pakkun was unimpressed. "You call that a fireball? More like a flying ember... Try again." Ritsuka grumbled as she wriggled her shoulders this time, upsetting the pugs sitting position.

"I thought it was pretty good for the first time in seven bloody years almost!" Pakkun nodded boredly.

"Yes, but it's of no use now is it? You need it to actually burn the grass right?" Ritsuka sighed, defeated. "Now, again!" Ritsuka did the process a good few times before the flames got to any standard of Pakkun's. "That's better, see? Now bigger." Ritsuka was really beginning to hate this dog...

"Right that's big enough now!" A few moments later, Ritsuka was feeling particularly tired, with beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. Pakkun raised an eyebrow as she pushed on into the freezing waters of the grassy marsh.

"For this purpose, yes, I suppose it will do." Ritsuka began breathing heavily as she pushed through the thick muddy water, the level rising steadily. She meandered through, trying to find the highest way to go, but found most of it ending up with the water level being above waist height. She turned to face where she had just walked and blew the fire on the grass. They singed and turned black, leaving a rancid smell to fill the air.

"God that's awful!" Pakkun rolled his eyes as he lay down across the top of her back, making her hunch.

"Yes yes, but shouldn't we be concentrating on the issue at hand." Ritsuka huffed in annoyance.

"Okay, okay. Just trying to have some positivity and communication in this shitty situation." Pakkun sighed as he closed his eyes, finding Ritsuka's warmth to be quite appealing. He would probably never tell her how much he had actually missed her, it wasn't really his style.

Ritsuka continued her mission, finding it to be quite hard to stay fluid. Even with her keen senses and expert reactions, she still stumbled and tripped on the long grass beneath the surface. Pakkun tutted and huffed whenever he had been shaken from his post, almost falling in once.

"You used to be so elegant..." He mumbled under his breath as he clamoured back up to his new found bed. Ritsuka just scowled in annoyance, which had no affect on the now apparently sleeping ninken. She continued her journey, beginning to panic as the levels of the sludge seemed to rise again, now reaching just under her chest. She would walk back and try another route, but found it still to increase in depth.

"Shit!" her frustration was beginning to seep out, causing Pakkun to huff in annoyance again. She continued on, the waters finally stopping just under shoulder height. Hopefully the Aranii following them were still young, and wouldn't get over the dislike for water enough to follow them in. She turned and burnt another path of grass, her whole body aching from overuse.

Again Ritsuka pressed on, trying to ignore her son's voice in her head, complaining about her campaign for death. She shivered as a cold snap whooshed by her, almost knocking her over, though the viscosity of the swamp held her steady. The next thing she noticed was the giant dark cloud that had now covered the sun, changing the lighting conditions as well as the temperature. She hoped and prayed that the rain would hold up until everyone was across, but she knew their luck was never going to be that good.

And soon enough, the heavens opened, releasing its watery fury down on the earth. Ritsuka pressed on despite the dangers, trying her best to move as quickly as possible.

"The water level is going to rise in this storm..." Pakkun had decided to join Ritsuka again in the land of the conscious, making her feel somewhat safer.

"There's nothing we can do. They are probably already on their way, and we don't have time to head back. We've been surrounded and trapped, with the swamp being the only way out." Pakkun nodded in agreement before staring off into the distance.

"How long do you think it is to go?" Ritsuka shrugged, earning a disgruntled growl from the pug.

"Maybe another mile or two? The map didn't have distances. I don't even know if it's to scale." Pakkun huffed again, resting his head back down on his now cold paws. Ritsuka turned and left another fire trail in her wake, straining her eyes to see if she could see anyone. "Can you find out if everyone is moving yet? Oh, and let the other ninken know that they can just shoot over the hill, and we get them at the other side." Pakkun nodded as he stood up.

"Cover your ears." Ritsuka did as she was told just before Pakkun began howling Ritsuka's commands. He waited a few moments, his ears flicking and twitching at every noise before a faint string of howls was heard. "They have began moving, though there have been a few problems with people not seeing why they should move. Kisuke has dealt with it and they are all moving." Ritsuka nodded and waited for Pakkun to continue. "Akin and Shiba are staying with the group, two shinobi having kindly offered to carry them. This way we'll be able to keep in contact with the group. The rest have head to the mountain and we shall see them at the other side." Ritsuka nodded again, baffled on the amount of information he could get from just a few howls.

"I always did admire your communication skills." She laughed softly as she turned to continue the search for the perfect path.

**Hey! An extra long chapter of nothing! Sorry about this. Just need to get through the plot set ups and blah blah blah. Hope everyone still enjoying it despite it dreagging on a little... *nervous laughter***

**Well thanks for reading XD!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Naruto raced through the trees, the wind pulling at his clothes and hair, relaxing him somewhat. His stomach still ached a little, and he was sure his stitches would be coming undone anytime now with his efforts for speed, but he pressed on none the less. He was still a little confused on what was going on, but he trusted Kakashi knew what he was doing, he always did.

The trees began to grow thicker as he tried to follow the directions he had been given, making him doubt himself slightly. He wasn't very good at this following instructions stuff, or directions for that matter... the river was still to the left of him, so that was a good sign, right?

But what if it was the wrong river?

Naruto scratched his head in clouded frustration as he stopped on a tree branch, his eyes straining to see ahead into the darkness. Everywhere looked the same, just tree after tree after tree... just a stupid sea of greens and browns!

"Man!" Naruto let out an exasperated breath, annoyed with himself. He set off again, deciding that he would go on a good bit further before he went all paranoid and screwed things up.

God he wished Kakashi was here, he would know.

...

Kakashi raced ahead of the group, ignoring how tired everyone seemed to be. He had to make sure that the evacuation was complete before the group could stop, and they would be caught up with them in no time if they could just keep this good pace up.

No one had complained of course, but he could feel the moral dropping, could hear their whispered questions and doubts in his decisions. He probably did work them too hard, but at this point, he couldn't afford to care.

Too much was at stake.

He could just feel Naruto's energy up ahead, though it was very weak. He was much further than he had first thought, his little head start and his unbeatable determination making him cover such a good distance in such a short space of time.

He just hoped it was all enough.

...

Ritsuka felt her body scream in pain as she felt herself slow down against the ever thickening swamp. The plant count had increased for every square meter, and she could really feel it wearing her down. She wasn't sure her body was going to last, and was pretty confident that when she exited this marsh land, or even if, her lower body would surely turn to dust... The group of evacuees was now visible behind her, sometimes she could even hear them talk as they slowly gained, hot on her heels.

She wasn't sure how much longer she could handle this, now feeling pretty confident she wasn't going to make it out of the watery prison, her limbs shaking from the effort to keep moving.

At least she had gained some altitude along the way, the water level having dropped to her waist, but the cold wind snapping at her caused the mud and water to freeze, her skin goose pimpling and her body to shivering.

"Just a little further." Ritsuka could tell she must have been really bad when Pakkun had changed from giving her grief to encouraging her. He must have noticed her eyes drooping and felt her body struggle. "I think I can see the end of this mess." Ritsuka hoped to god he did, she just didn't think she could make it much longer. "At least we'll be a good couple of days ahead of the Aranii, right? They will have to walk around the marshlands or over the mountain, meaning casualties and delay." Ritsuka nodded, afraid that if she spoke, she would lose what energy she had left. Pakkun seemed to notice as he continued to talk, trying his best to lift her spirits. "Once we get across, we could really do with some warm food, and a sleep." He changed his position on the girl's shoulder, causing her to hiss in pain as he stepped on some hair. "Sorry." Pakkun settled again, continuing on with his plans. "A nice fire, that would be good. None of this mush malarkey." Ritsuka turned and put her hands together to make her seals, and tiredly blew her fire out onto the reeds. "And when Kakashi comes back, soon hopefully, he's going to be so happy about your memory." Ritsuka smiled softly as she thought of his happy face and his expressive, shining eyes. She thought back to his smell and his warming presence, remembered the times they spent together, just lying together on the couch watching silly movies, or talking for what felt like forever under the stars, or under the covers...

Ritsuka stumbled a little as the level of the marsh suddenly began to ascend up a steep incline, her heart racing with excitement.

"Up is good!" She exclaimed, her newly found positivity filling her voice. Pakkun began to wag his tail a little, an indication of his happiness.

"Not too far now!" Ritsuka turned and burned more of the cursed reeds and grasses, enjoying its destruction a bit better now that an end was clear and near.

It didn't take much longer before she came racing up the now shallow waters, causing splashes to spray up onto her already soaked clothing. Ahead, she could see the group of nin dogs that took the mountain road racing to where she was heading, encouraging her to keep on moving. When the solid ground pounded under her footfalls with no splashing accompanying them, she dropped to her knees, her breath coming in struggling pants. Her throat closed tightly and her lungs begged for air. She was getting too old for this shit!

"You did it Ritsuka. We've made it, and the group are not too far behind." The ninken then began to converse, their howls and barks letting the group know of the great accomplishment.

They had been spared another day.

...

Naruto peered round the huge tree he was currently hiding in, watching as great hoards of creatures made their way into a mountain pass. He contemplated going all hermit mode on their asses, but he had to first ensure that the evacuees were safe, and find out where they were.

Though, it didn't look good.

He could see the remains of camps, and evidence of a rushed clean up. Nothing had been covered up, no fire pits buried, even some belongings were still hanging on braches or strewn on the ground.

It really, _really_ didn't look good.

Kakashi had assured everyone that Ritsuka was probably one of the best for this job, since she knew more about the creatures, but Naruto worried that Kakashi was stuck in the past, remembering what she used to be capable of, but now, she was as useless as the villagers when it came to fighting.

Not that he didn't like her. He did of course, he actually had a feeling he knew her from somewhere, but he just didn't see how she was capable of being in charge of this kind of thing.

Though to be fair, there were no bodies lying about or piled up like usual, so that had to be a good thing right? Maybe she was smart, that had to be it. Kakashi was a genius so it's only right that like minds would stick together.

Naruto slinked back into the forest, making his way around the hoard to see if he could find where the group had gone. He searched all along the mountain sides, though he doubted the villagers would have made it.

What was most confusing was why the creatures didn't just cross the meadow. Did that mean that the evacuees did take to high ground? Surely Ritsuka wouldn't have risked everyone's life like that...

It was then that a small black track on the meadow caught his eye, almost like a path.

As the numbers of creatures thinned out, he made a quick dash for the edge of the meadow, only to find himself sinking into the soft wet ground of a marsh.

Clever.

The creatures hated the water, so Ritsuka must have chosen the marshes.

Maybe Kakashi had been right.

Naruto forced chakra out of his feet as he stepped on top of the watery ground, allowing him to run across it with ease.

He had to step his game up, for time was of the essence.

...

Ritsuka lay on the solid ground, feeling her body begin to numb with pain. For too long it had felt like her days were numbered, and she was sick of it. She didn't want to exert herself ever again. Just wanted to eat and sleep until she died.

A wave of coughs and phlegm attacked her then, reminding her that it would never be like that. She had chosen the life of a shinobi, sort of, and that was how she would live.

"That's everyone across and out of the marsh, minor issues, just a couple of trip ups and almost drownings, but it was successful none the less." Ritsuka mustered a smile for Kisuke, showing him that she had listened despite her eyes being closed. "We also have someone approaching us quickly over the marshes." Ritsuka opened her eyes at this one.

"What do you mean? And how do you know?" Kisuke smiled nervously.

"I just felt a flicker of chakra as I was helping the last of the villagers to dry ground. I'm not sure who, but it was definitely shinobi. It will probably be nothing to worry about, probably someone sent to give us further instructions or let us know the fate of our friends, I just felt it was best to let you know." Ritsuka nodded as she thought for a moment.

"Okay. Might as well get up then." She really didn't want to, but Kisuke had no idea about Kentaro, if it was him making his way to the group, or one of his brainwashed minions...

Ritsuka stood at the edge of the marshlands, her eyes straining to see ahead. The drizzle that now seemed to fall from the sky was making it hard to focus, but she was pretty sure she could see orange.

Naruto perhaps? She hoped so.

The orange blur continued to approach at ground breaking speeds, the splashing that he was creating almost reaching higher than his height. She waited patiently for the shinobi to approach, her heart heavy with worry.

She wasn't really sure she was in the best place to be told bad news.

"Hey!" the blur shouted, throwing caution to the wind. Ritsuka rolled her eyes, lifting her hand to wave at the excited teen. His energetic and rather flamboyant arm wobble greeted her back, making her laugh a little. The boy was always one to make her smile. And how the boy had grown!

Ritsuka refrained from smothering the boy in hugs and "I missed you'"s as he reached dry land, his boyish smile in place.

"Kakashi sent me as backup!" He cheerfully informed her, his blonde hair shining in the struggling sun. He wiped his face from the drops of rain that had now begun to fall much heavier, mud smearing across his nose. Ritsuka smiled sweetly as she rubbed it away best she could with her also muddy hands.

"So you arrived safely then I take it, no run ins with the Aranii?" Naruto stared at her as if she had spoken in tongues. "No black things?" Naruto nodded in understanding.

"They are heading across the mountain pass as we speak, I watched the last of them hit the trail before I headed over here." Ritsuka held Naruto's eyes with hers as she quietly panicked.

"That was quick." she started to pace in front of the curious boy, her brain really beginning to hurt now. "They are just relentless!" She almost screamed as she tried her best to control her frustration. She was ready to die, wanting nothing more to do with all this stress and pain and constant uphill battles. If someone turned round and stuck a kunai right in her heart, she would kiss them and thank them until her last breath.

"What's going on?" It was Kisuke who snapped Ritsuka from her diminishing will to live. "What's happened?" Ritsuka sighed as she rubbed her eyes a bit harder than she should have. Black spots appeared in her vision as she tried to mull over the situation.

"The Aranii are making it through the pass faster than I had planned... Akino! Uruhei!" Ritsuka's commanding voice echoed through the group, and the two nin dogs were by her within seconds, awaiting orders. "The mountain pass. Can you head back and let us know how much time we have." The two were gone as she shouted on the rest of the group who were already on their way. "Okay. We need to make sure that the villagers are ready to move again if they have to -"

"They're exhausted." Kisuke spoke up, interrupting Ritsuka. He shied away as she studied him, her mind racing.

"We all are, but we have to move or we die. It's as simple as that." She felt her body grow heavier as the gravity of their situation pushed down on her.

"No, I mean, we can't move them. Some refuse to go on. They were wanting to stop in the marsh lands until morning, coming up with crazy ideas of making beds out of the reeds and such like. They grow delirious with the lack of food in the rations, the lack of sleep as they lie awake and scared. Then we trek all night, only stopping now and again to catch breath. Some of these people are ill, some are dying. And they will not move." Ritsuka felt her desperation push itself to a more powerful position in her mind.

"Then what do you propose we do?" All her strength was focused on keeping her voice straight, to hide any indications that she was ready to keel over. Kisuke sheepishly shrugged, annoying Ritsuka somewhat. "Do you propose we make a stand?" Kisuke looked at his feet, Ritsuka making him a little uncomfortable. She tried to not care, but it just wasn't her nature. Guilt welled up in her as she continued to pressure the man. "Fight? With the few and rather inexperienced shinobi we have. Risk the lives of everyone and wait for some miracle to happen?" Kisuke shook his head, obviously out of ideas. "I appreciate what you are saying, but once they see those retched things coming over the horizon, they'll move." Ritsuka sighed as she tried her best to smile warmly at the now nervous man. Kisuke was just trying to help.

A howl sounded through the miserable afternoon sky.

"We may have to do both." Pakkun piped up, jumping onto his apparently newly acquired perch on Ritsuka's shoulder. "The villagers must move on, but some of us will need to stay behind to cause delay. They will be upon us in twenty minutes." Pakkun's news was like a blow to Ritsuka's stomach, her hands shooting up and grasping at sodden clothes covering her abdomen.

"Kisuke." Ritsuka took control. "You are now in charge of getting this group to the checkpoint. Those shinobi and ninken alike who chose to lay their lives down so as to save these people meet me here A.S.A.P! Pakkun, you and another head back to Kakashi and his group, inform him of the situation and tell him to hurry his ass." Ritsuka shouted the last of her orders out as Pakkun sped off with another ninken.

After the shinobi had started to prepare for mission distraction, Ritsuka sighed as she led Kisuke away. He followed Ritsuka curiously, his brow furrowed in concern. "My son." He smiled, somehow knowing that this was what was bothering her. "Please, make sure he understands, and don't for a second let him out of your sight, 'cause he'll come to help me. Let him know that I love him more than anything, and that I'm sorry things didn't work out like we had planned. Please, ensure that he gets to Kakashi." Kisuke nodded and turned to leave. "And the rest of the kids. Make sure they get to good homes." Kisuke nodded again, his reassuring eyes holding the hope that Ritsuka need. She only watched as he sped off to round up the villagers.

"Ritsuka!" Naruto shouted from the group, his arms waving frantically. "Fifteen minutes!" Ritsuka raced back to the group, wiping a stupid tear from her eye.

"Okay. The turtle formation will be best here, an ambush from the rocks above sending them back into the mountain, allowing only so many Aranii though the tight passage at once, try and thin them out, giving us a better chance at knocking more of the numbers." Some of the group nodded while others just stared at Ritsuka expectantly. "Any water users?" A couple of hands went up, though not as many as she would have liked. "Okay, we shall be at the front line of this ambush, while the rest of you will be ready with whatever you have, but remember this. We do not budge or move until all hope is lost and we regroup for part two, which is just an all out attack and fight." She counted numbers, and found an abysmally small number of shinobi were present. "And we will fight to the death." She gave out her orders, positioning the shinobi out best she could into a turtle shell like shape.

And so the last stand arranged them self accordingly, Naruto and Ritsuka at the head of the ambush with their water jutsu at the ready. It had only taken Ritsuka a couple of lessons from the enthusiastic blonde before she had almost regained the ability fully.

"Hold still." She whispered to those close to her, the rumblings and thumps of the approaching enemy ringing through the air. Ritsuka took a deep breath as she stiffened her body, her eyes and ears awaiting the first sign of the Aranii.

**Herro! **

**So yeah I've been uber busy trying to get my life in order, and now i finally have the time to sit down and sort my head into writing.**

**So here we are at chapter 18, and u will be guteed to know, that we are nowhere near the end :( the fountains would not run and now they will not stop .**

**But i hope people are still enjoying it despite the constant problems that seem to come up in the plot, but it will all be coming together shortly, and will start to make more sense XD**

**have fun XD**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 

Kakashi walked through the deserted camp, his heart sinking. He had come across the black creatures' tracks quite far back on their travels, and he had hoped that he could have caught up by now, but things weren't looking good at all. So many discarded possessions and hurried attempts of packing. He sighed hard as he followed the human trails that led to the black scorched path in the marsh. He couldn't help but smile at the excellent idea, but the evacuees were still in trouble, and he needed to act fast.

"Right everyone! Break over! It's time to move out." No one moaned or grumbled as they gathered together, despite the intense past few days. Kakashi split the group in two, one taking the mountain pass and attacking from behind, and the other, which he was part of, racing across the marshes and round to the head of the pursuing creatures. They would meet in the middle somewhere, hopefully.

So the teams split and were about to head their separate ways when two nindogs came racing out of the mountain pass. Kakashi's heart fluttered in fear as he dashed to meet them as they began shouting.

"You have to hurry before they die!" was all he got from Pakkun as he approached them.

"What's happening?" Kakashi kept his cool as he waited for Pakkun to do the same.

"The Aranii have made it through the pass by now, and Ritsuka is at the other side with Naruto and only a handful of shinobi trying to slow them down enough to let the evacuation move on." Pakkun panted as he tried to catch his breath. He wasn't sure he had ever run so fast in his life. Kakashi stood and signalled for the two groups to move out. He grabbed the pug in one hand as he sped off to the marshes, signalling for Bull to follow the other group. On reaching the sludgy grassland, he placed Pakkun carefully on his shoulder and urged him to fill him in on the past couple of days.

Pakkun told him of the struggles, and how Ritsuka coped with them, but he avoided telling him about her memory. If Ritsuka didn't make it, it might be easier for Kakashi to move on without worrying about her state of mind as she died. Pakkun shuddered at the thought, not sure if he could watch his master decompose like that again. Kakashi was silent as the little dog reported what he could, his splashing of his feet and the rain as it fell on the water surface the only other sound.

"And now they wait impending doom. That Ritsuka is still as stubborn as ever." Kakashi frowned as he thought of the poor choice she had made. She should have left with the evacuees! She has no jutsu! No strength!

"And what does she suppose she will be able to do with nothing but her hands?" Pakkun had lied about her abilities as well, hoping not to lift the man's spirits, saying she had burned the path with a torch she had made and lit. Human's were far too confusing... but what was he to say now.

"She had a few good ideas for formations, and I guess she will just be shouting out orders, keeping things together you know. She knows the risks, and has made her choice Kakashi. Like we all do." A small growl escaped the worrying man, but he kept his head as the group approached land quicker than he had hoped, and began shouting out his next lot of orders.

Time was of the essence, and what little essence they had.

...

Ritsuka pushed herself up from the rock she had be blasted back onto, her head spinning as her fatigued body flopped and gave way under her weight. And as she sat in her crumpled mess, she knew. She knew was going to die.

As if to confirm her fears, three Aranii appeared above her, their shadow reaching over her like the hand of death himself. She couldn't even turn to look at her killers, her hair standing on end as their rancid breath washed over her. She pictured Kyoya and Kakashi in her mind, wanting her last thoughts to be on the good things in her life, their beautiful personalities and beings accompanying her as she breathed her last.

She let out a strangled cry as one of their rough swards pierced her shoulder from behind, the blade pushing through so that she could watch her blood drip off the end and into her lap. She tried to move her fingers, but regretted it immediately as pain shot out from her wound. Another scream left her as a second similar sward pierced her other shoulder, rendering her arms now completely useless. She closed her eyes tightly as she waited for the final blow, but was horribly surprised when she felt herself being hoisted into the air.

These Aranii were not of age!

Images of previous experiences from the 'of age' Aranii pushed to the foreground of her mind, causing her to cross her legs tightly and beg for death to come first.

She felt her back slam against the ground, blood pooling out of her wounds rapidly. The Aranii looked down on her and laughed, a strange noise that sounded almost painful. She couldn't help but feel sorry for them at that moment, knowing what their origins were. Their black, dead eyes, so filled with lies and malice, though there was the now and again glimmer of the soul trapped inside. Her heart reached out to them as she closed her eyes again, hoping to god that these Aranii hadn't matured yet. If so, she was in for a really long and torturous death...

Another scream left her lips as she felt her ribs being crushed by a heavy stamp from one of the creatures, a metallic taste appearing in her mouth. God she wished they would hurry up. She screamed again as the fuck removed its foot, unsure if the blow or the removal was more painful.

"Ritsuka!" Naruto's strained voice could be heard a few creatures back, but she knew there was no way he was getting to her. She had fallen behind, she was too weak. Her body had given up on her, and now, her time had come, and she was ready.

"Ritsuka?" It was a different voice this time, though much further away. She tried to slow her heart rate as she recognised the silver haired love of her life calling on her, her lack of will power for life feeling so juvenile now. Like all that mattered was that that man got to her here and now, and made everything right. Because he could.

"Kaka -" she was cut off as a fist clipped her jaw, causing more blood to leave her. She could see stars as she felt unconsciousness tug at her. She didn't even scream as the three Aranii beat down on her, the blood now in her lungs causing her only to gurgle in agony.

...

Kakashi could see Naruto further up, his blonde hair and orange suit proving useful. He pushed through the waves of creatures, his desperation almost too much. Pakkun had assured him Ritsuka was at the front, and he couldn't see any signs of her at all. His heart pounded as Naruto pointed in a direction before exploding into sage mode and blasting the creatures around him over the sides of the mountain pass. It was then the he saw the mangled mess of Ritsuka.

...

Ritsuka felt a blast of chakra flow over her as she felt herself slipping, only barely registering that the creatures were no longer above her, hurting her. She felt warm hands on her face, shaky fingers press at her jugular, probably searching for life. She tried to speak, but her body wouldn't respond, tried to push herself from the ground, but her shoulders were too badly damaged. Even her eyes were heavy, but after much effort she managed to force them open. Kakashi's worried face met her blurry gaze, his hands fumbling with bandages and tourniquets, Naruto clearing up this war like mess rather quickly. She hadn't really appreciated the full extent of the young teen's power.

"Hang in there. Don't you fucking even think about dying, you understand?" Kakashi's emotionless voice was a little more on the frantic side as he tried to stifle as much bleeding as possible. He used a few medic techniques which surprised her a little. He never used to be able to do that. His eyebrows knitted in thought as he pulled away from her, his eyes curious. "Okay, that's all I can do, now to get you out of here." Kakashi's strong arms slinked under her body and lifted her up to his chest as if she weighed nothing. She had always loved the man's strength, though she couldn't help but wonder if she really did weigh nothing these days.

"Kaka – shi..." Ritsuka had a whole monologue ready in her head, but nothing but his name seemed to leave her mouth. He smiled comfortingly at her as he sped off to the back of the ongoing fight, dodging and avoiding any danger expertly, and setting her gently against a deceivingly big rock. He brushed her hair from her face before kissing her gently on the forehead.

"Pakkun will stay with you and alert me if you are discovered. Rest now and I will be back as soon as this situation has been dealt with." Ritsuka managed a clumsy nod as she felt Pakkun curl up beside her, his tongue liking at some of her less severe wounds. Kakashi lingered for a moment his fingers stroking her cheek gently. "I'll be as quick as I can." Ritsuka tried to reply, but her throat constricted as she tried to speak, her lungs burning, the drowning sensation she was experiencing with her own damned blood not at all pleasent.

"Rest. Kakashi will return shortly." Pakkun's toneless voice rang in her ears as she felt unconsciousness tug at her, her cheek absently burning with the cold breeze now on her fingerless face. Kakashi had left. "Rest."

...

Kakashi tried his best to suppress the rage that was filling him, but he just couldn't help the satisfaction he felt when he tore through the black shit that was in his way. He didn't even notice his arm being cut, nor the small scratch he had received on his cheek from a swinging blade from one of the cursed beasts. His chidori screeched as it cut through many of the violent things, their blood spraying all over.

It wasn't long before the hoard had thinned out, and the other shinobi assigned to the mountain pass came fighting over the horizon.

By the time they had finished, bodies littered the mountain side, shinobi and creature alike. A heavy depression settled on the land of death, and Kakashi felt a sense of guilt wash over him.

He should have been here.

Once everything was clear, and the area surrounding the battle area searched for any survivors, Kakashi ordered the burning of the bodies left behind.

Naruto leant against the silver haired shinobi as he mumbled nonsense about ramen and a dire need of some sleep. Kakashi propped the boy up, and kept an arm around his shoulder to steady him.

"We need to catch up to the evacuees." Kakashi was finding it hard to hold himself up now, his chakra pathways burning with his overused techniques. His sharingan stung as it whirled behind his now replaced hitai-ate, its overuse making it difficult for it to slow down. "I have to go and get Ritsuka. Will you be okay sitting here until I find someone who can help you?" Naruto stumbled back, his brow furrowed.

"I don't need help! I'm fine, just hungry!" The boy gave his trademark smile and a thumbs up as if to convince Kakashi that he was speaking only truth. Kakashi shook his head as he called Rock Lee over, informing him that it was his duty to ensure Naruto's safety as they made their way to the evacuation.

Kakashi ordered a twenty minute break before they headed out, rushing over to find Ritsuka. He was quite shocked as well as relieved to see that she was where he had left her, having been worrying this whole time that she would have been discovered.

"Her breathing is slowing. Her heart rate is erratic. I can hear it." Pakkun pulled his head away from the girl's chest, his sad eyes not filling Kakashi with the confidence he was needing. "She's dying." Kakashi was on his knees beside her in a second, his fingers fixing and fumbling with the bandages he had applied to her wounds earlier. He rested his ear against her chest and sighed as he too could hear her now slowing heart rate. He wiped her blood from his face when he sat back up, slinking his arms under her torn body and hoisting her up against his chest again. He could feel his muscles burn with the strain, but he couldn't afford to be selfish. He set off back to the rest of his charge.

...

It didn't take long for the shinobi to reach the evacuees, Kakashi making a bee-line for Sakura.

"Jesus. I'm beginning to think she likes the near death situations." She mumbled, her hands rubbing together and sparking her chakra healing hands. "I don't know how much I can do, with all these blocks and..." Sakura petered off, her eyebrows knitted in concentration. "That's... interesting." Kakashi fidgeted as he waited for the girl to continue, but Sakura stayed silent.

"Interesting?" Sakura seemed to not notice him. "Good? Bad?" Sakura shushed him then, her hand raised in his face. He appreciated that she was under a lot of pressure, but her rudeness was going to get to him sooner or later.

"Do you want me to do my stuff?" Kakashi nodded, falling back to sit on the ground next to Ritsuka. "Now help me take off her jumper." Kakashi nodded again, sitting the girl up and pulling at her torn sleeves. "What in the world?" Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise at the cuts and slashes that covered the girl's arms and stomach. They had definitely not been there the last time he had seen her. He touched a couple, as if in disbelief. "Those look self inflicted. Has Ritsuka ever- "

"No. Never." Kakashi continued to touch the scabs, annoyed at himself for not having noticed sooner. He should have prevented this! But it had never been in her nature to do something like this.

God he really hated Kentaro!

Sakura tried to avoid talking about it, not sure if she would really know what to say. So she instead worked nonstop for the next half hour, fixing and clicking things back into place, sewing up gashes and cuts with chakra chords, Ritsuka's healthy vitals returning to her.

"Did you notice it to? I did some medic-nin techniques earlier and they worked. I thought that wasn't possible with all her blocks, but when I checked her with the sharingan, everything seemed to be gone." Sakura shrugged.

"They are all gone." Kakashi again waited for the pink haired girl to continue, but again she disappointed him. "Help me sit her up." Kakashi took Ritsuka by the shoulders and held her in an upright position while Sakura placed her hands on her back, around the area of her lungs. Ritsuka began to cough and spurt, black ooze falling from her lips. Her body convulsed as Sakura kept pushing, Kakashi whispering comforting words in her ear. "You are in some mess." Sakura mumbled as she continued to push the poison out.

"Do you know what all this is?" Sakura shrugged, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

"If I was to guess, I would say a lung disease caused by cold dampness, as well as the tar like substance that people seem to get when coming in contact with these beasts." Kakashi nodded, having had some removed from him before. "She must have not had it treated, and it's infected her internally. I don't know one hundred percent how it all works, but I'm sure Tsunade will inform us when she does." Kakashi nodded again, hopeful that it would be soon. Ritsuka continued to cough up more black stuff, but it was beginning to thin out, and be replaced by blood.

"Everything's going to be okay." Kakashi stroked his fingers through her hair as she clutched at the sleeve of his jumper, gasping for breath. He hated this. He would do anything to trade places with her for this moment, but he couldn't. Sakura stopped pushing when it was just blood that left her, her eyes worried.

"Lay her back down." Kakashi lay Ritsuka back down, his fingers now caressing her face softly. Sakura then placed her hands over Ritsuka's head, her eyes closed tightly as she waited for the flash of chakra to blow here back like before.

Nothing.

"Kakashi, I don't know how this has all worked out, but Ritsuka is completely normal again. No mind blocks, nothing. Everything is... Fine." She scratched her head as she searched for any of the chakra signatures she had found before, but Ritsuka was completely free of them. "There is just some scar tissue, but nothing serious. Though still damage none the less. I'd like to keep an eye on it." Sakura flared the chakra in her hands, feeling and probing around Ritsuka. "It's a fricken miracle." Kakashi sighed with relief as Sakura finished up, only a couple of Ritsuka's injuries now needing to be bandaged.

"So, do you think she can remember?" Sakura shrugged but nodded.

"It's highly possible. There seems to be nothing stopping her now. But she is going to need so much sleep and rest it's unreal, and I'm serious. Even though she's not going to die, she will get really ill again if she keeps this heroic shit up." Kakashi frowned as he bit his tongue, not wanting to retaliate at the younger kinochi. It wasn't Ritsuka's fault that the shit hit the fan so often... She did what she had to, and though it annoyed him at times, he respected her highly on her selfless decisions.

"Yeah I'll watch her. Thanks for everything." Sakura nodded as she stood up, stretching and massaging the back of her neck as she wondered off. She had more work to do.

...

Kakashi lay exhausted against a tree, his fingers pulling gently through Ritsuka's long tangled hair. He couldn't wait for her to wake so that he could inform her of his good news. Also it would mean that she was through the worst of it. They were almost at their safe point, and the purge or rescue of these creatures could really begin once everyone was well rested and fixed up.

He was disturbed from his thoughts when he felt the girl in his arms turn and toss a little, her whispered words not making much sense. She had been having nightmares for a long time now, which again was a good thing since it meant she probably wasn't in a coma. Sakura had visited through the night, tending to anything she could and generally just making sure things were stable, and he was grateful for her extra vigilance.

"Fuck me!" Ritsuka sat bolt upright, her skin shining in the early morning sun, her breaths coming out in short laboured pants. Kakashi wrapped his arms around her gently and pulled her back so that she was leaning against him again.

"It's okay. Everything is fine now." Kakashi placed a soft kiss on the top of her head, Ritsuka relaxing into his hold. She pulled at his sleeves with her shaky hands, her eyes filling with tears. At least she had the use of her arms back, though everything she did was accompanied with pain these days...

Ritsuka sat up again, but struggled as her arms began to give out. Turns out she was still exhausted. Kakashi helped her, clearly unsure what she was trying to do, but supporting her all the same. Ritsuka checked around herself to ensure no one was watching before she reached her hand up to Kakashi's mask and slipped her fingers over the top. Kakashi's hand stopped her before she went any further and he double checked their surroundings. His deep eyes returned to hers then, rekindling a desiring fire within her that she hadn't felt in so long. God she had missed him so much! She yanked the mask down then, her lips crashing into his as she pressed herself as close to him as she could, but the awkward position they were in only seemed to cause her pain.

The kiss was sloppy and desperate, their rhythm having been lost over the many years they had spent apart. But soon the two found each other's timing and their kiss progressed into a passionate and intense remembrance of the times they had shared together.

Kakashi's hands gently manoeuvred Ritsuka so that they could get closer, placing her gently on top of him so that she was straddling his crossed legs. She yelped and the kiss broke for a moment as she adjusted herself into the least sore position she could find, and then the two locked together again for what felt like eternity, yet it still wasn't enough. Kakashi could feel his heat building up in his lower regions, his eyes checking and his chakra searching for on lookers at all times. The heat of the moment mixed in with the possibility of being caught was just a bit too overwhelming.

"Shit." Kakashi whispered against Ritsuka's lips when he pulled back slightly, his hot breath soothing Ritsuka.

"I know!" She giggled then, the musical sound making Kakashi smile. He really couldn't explain how much he had missed everything, but he knew that it hurt. He could feel his heart tighten, making him almost double over in pain. He had to know if she could remember.

"Do you have your memories back?" Kakashi brushed back some of Ritsuka's hair and looked into her glittering eyes. She looked off into the distance, as if in a trance. She eventually nodded her head and tugged subconsciously at her sleeves. "I know." Ritsuka snapped her head up and stared at Kakashi, her eyes filling up as her grip on her arm tightened painfully. "When Sakura was fixing you up... Why?" Ritsuka shrugged as Kakashi pulled her arms apart, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I guess it's just a habit now..." She stared off to the left, hoping that Kakashi would change the subject. Her took her chin in hands, and turned her head so that she was looking at him again.

"So this isn't the first." It was more of a statement than a question. Ritsuka nodded.

"It started off as a way of keeping Kentaro at bay. He didn't want me to hurt. He wanted to show me that he could provide me with everything you could and more. He wanted me to love him, not hate him. When I threatened to harm him he would laugh, and take over my mind. But he had to sleep sometime. And though he wasn't around when he did, I figured out that by hurting myself, I hurt him more than he believed I could." Kakashi would have probably congratulated her on hurting the prick had it not been at her own expense. Ritsuka scratched her head as she looked off again as she continued. "Then, as time went on, I realised that it made me... feel better. Made me feel relieved." Kakashi nodded, his eyes scanning her face.

"It is often found that people who harm themselves do it as a way of taking control of their life when they feel that they have no control at all. Maybe you took joy in being in control of something, taking control of whether you lived or died." Kakashi was always one to try and reason with things, but Ritsuka was glad that he hadn't turned on her or judged her badly in any way. She suddenly found herself talking again, her mind spilling out in front of them both.

"I suppose it's possible, but I didn't just enjoy it, I craved it. It became like an addiction. Sometimes I would laugh while I did it, like a right psycho. But I didn't care. I'd have never killed myself I don't think. I always knew I would eventually escape. Though six years is a long time." Ritsuka smiled as she flicked at some of Kakashi's spikes, a playful glint in her eyes.

"I'm sorry I never... I searched everywhere for you. I even carried this around to ask if anyone had seen you." Kakashi pulled out his little photograph, Ritsuka grabbing it out of his hand almost immediately.

"This is the one you chose? Out of all the pictures you have, this one?" Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"I like it, okay? You look so natural in it. Posing is no good in a photo. Especially when your natural beauty comes through like this." Ritsuka grumbled as she handed it back.

"Whatever. I can't believe most of the world has seen _that_ one." She folded her arms as she grumbled some more, Kakashi realising just how much he had missed even the silliest of things, like their playful arguments.

"Anyway, I just... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you leave, no matter how persistent you were. I should have protected you. Should have been there for you." Ritsuka smiled softly as she kissed the silver haired shinobi again, her hands so soft against his face.

"I never blamed you. Not once. And I'm pretty sure you did everything in your power to find me. Kentaro is just an asshole. And anyway, if I hadn't been so god damn stubborn, I'm sure everything would be a lot different. We could go on all day like this is suppose, it's not you it's me, so why don't we just agree that it's in the past, and all we have to do is think about the future." Kakashi nodded in agreement, though he still seemed unconvinced.

"I can appreciate that our decisions for you to leave on your last missions are in the past, and we can't change them, but we can't just ignore what happened. Plus I don't even know what that prick did to you, and I would like to. I'm going to be here for you every step of the way, no matter what you have to tell me." Ritsuka blinked back tears as she looked back at Kakashi, his eyes stern. "I'm here for you." She couldn't help but feel that she was obliged to tell him everything, but where to start, and how would he take some of it? She laughed sadly, her hands shaking as she began to recollect so many horrid memories. She closed her eyes tightly as she pulled her sleeves over her hands, and wiped at her face to rid her of her tears. Kakashi pulled her closer to him, rubbing his nose up and down her cheek as he shushed her.

"We can do this another time if it's too hard. I can wait until you're ready." That only seemed to make Ritsuka worse, her body shaking from the force of her sobs.

"He made me do things I'll never forgive myself for." Kakashi had an idea she was talking about the sex, which saddened him slightly. It wasn't her fault and he knew that, but she still held the blame.

"Ritsuka, no matter what it was he made you say or do, none of it will change how I feel about you. I know that he erased your memory, and I know he was a sadistic fuck, but we don't have to worry about that anymore, because he is dead." Ritsuka sat bolt upright.

"Did you-"

"Yup!" Kakashi smiled triumphantly as he played with Ritsuka's hair a bit more, watching as it slipped through his hands as he pulled gently. "All gone." He joked.

"He's not dead." Kakashi's smile left him as he watched Ritsuka wipe another tear from her cheek.

"I felt him die. You have nothing to worry about now." Ritsuka nodded her head. Maybe it was just all too sudden for her to accept.

"Yeah but... That was only one version." Kakashi frowned as he waited for the bad news to continue. What did she mean one version. "He found some forbidden jutsu things on his travels over the years. He split himself into five parts. It was meant to be eight, but he screwed up somewhere and only got five. If you have killed the version he was now, he still has three to go." Kakashi growled. He should have known...

"How did he lose his first version?" Ritsuka laughed a little.

"He killed himself. The idiot he hated his first version, which was a snivelling coward of a fool, just like when he was a child." Ritsuka's eyes flashed as she remembered what he had done to her team, remembered the horrid things he was capable of, even as a young teen. "The jutsu picks out and embodies your strongest points, the first being his coward-ness, his second being his psychotic-ness, I don't know what the other three are however. Neither did he. What I do know, however, is where he keeps the bodies that he can change to." Kakashi felt a pang of hope, though he was still quite annoyed that he still had to deal with the basterd. Three more versions of that scum bag. Well at least Ritsuka knew where to go.

"Can you point the areas out on a map?" Ritsuka shook her head.

"I only know how to get to them by walking. I'm sorry. But I can take you there myself." Kakashi shook his head.

"That was what I was worrying about." Ritsuka slapped Kakashi's shoulder in fun, pretending to be deeply offended.

"I'll have you know that I've been getting the hang of this jutsu malarkey again! Why do you think I was at the front line? Shouting orders out? I'd have been useless out there otherwise." Kakashi remembered Pakkun saying that Ritsuka had been doing exactly that. Only probably giving orders. In fact, Pakkun hadn't mentioned anything about Ritsuka remembering the past or her returned chakra use.

"How did you scorch the path in the marsh?" Ritsuka looked back at Kakashi, puzzled.

"I used a fire jutsu?" A lit torch indeed. He would need to talk to Pakkun later.

"So where do you need to be to start off?" Ritsuka fidgeted as she mumbled her reply.

"At the hideout he kept me at?" Kakashi frowned as he watched Ritsuka fumbling with her clothing.

"Can you handle that?" Ritsuka straightened herself suddenly.

"Of course I can! I'm a shinobi. I do what I have to do." Kakashi nodded.

"You know I don't give a shit about all that, especially when it concerns you. Plus, if this is going to do more harm than good, then you can just describe how to get there for me over a walky-talky." Ritsuka frowned.

"I'll be fine. Plus I need to count steps and trees and stuff." Kakashi seemed unconvinced by her sudden positivity, but he let it go. She really was as stubborn as hell.

"So, what exactly is the connection between Kentaro and the Aranii?" Ritsuka rubbed her eyes again, obviously tired. "I'd love to let you sleep and say 'we can talk about it later' but I need to know so I can plan ahead. Apparently it's not all over yet." Ritsuka nodded.

"I know, I know. The Aranii..." Ritsuka scratched her head and repositioned herself on Kakashi's lap. He replaced his mask, wanting to relax as the two talked. "They are... In the non ninja orientated world, crimes are much more likely to happen. It's almost never sorted out, and criminals go on with their lives like nothing's happened, just committing the same crimes. But you know all this already." Kakashi nodded, not sure where Ritsuka was going with all this. "Well, Kentaro could pretty much do what he wanted, and no one could catch him. He could convince people easily of lies with his bloodline limit, and he could steal away people without anyone really noticing or taking any action, and if they did, he would convince everyone that the person never existed. If you ask some of the kids in these lands where their mother or father is, some won't even know they had one." Kakashi nodded, his mind filling in the blanks. "Kentaro experimented on people, trying to find a way of controlling them without having to concentrate, a way of controlling thousands of people without it taking so much chakra. He thought if he could practice he would expand his abilities, but it just weakened him. He said that the intricacies of the human mind were just too much, that there were so many things that could make them remember who they were, and hence break away from his control. The more people he controlled, the harder it was for him to concentrate on each person's distractions. So..." Ritsuka looked away, guilt clearly evident. "He made them dumber." Kakashi watched as Ritsuka began fumbling and wiping at her eyes again.

"This wasn't your fault." Kakashi tried to touch Ritsuka hair again, but she stopped his hand.

"He made me help him. Orphans came to me, followed me back to his hideout thinking we were going to save them!" Ritsuka began to convulse as she held her chest, her emotional state escalating. "I led them to him, and he changed them." Kakashi twisted his hand in hers and pulled her so she was leaning on him, her sobs coming to the surface. "All those children, I remember all their faces. All of them. They haunt me in my sleep, their eyes staring at me. Cold dead eyes." Kakashi rubbed her back as he tried to sooth her.

"It wasn't your fault."

"I should have been stronger!" Ritsuka pulled at her hair, as she tried to calm herself. "I should have stopped him." Kakashi pressed her hands against her head so that her fingers let go of her hair.

"Look, there was nothing you could do. Kentaro is an evil fuck, and it's not your fault. Is there nothing we can do to reverse the transformation?" Ritsuka shook her head.

"He altered their DNA, burned parts away with chemicals and all sorts. Before he split himself, he had a crisis of conscience, and tried to see if he could reverse it, but it was impossible. Killing them is the only freedom they will get." Ritsuka wiped more tears from her eyes. "God I feel like I'll never stop crying!" She laughed half heartedly as she finally settled into Kakashi embrace, allowing him to comfort her.

"I will inform Tsunade and she will decide what is best." Ritsuka sat up again.

"Tsunade is back?" Kakashi looked at her puzzled and then laughed. He had completely forgot that he hadn't explained the last six years of Konoha life to her yet.

"Yeah. She is now the fifth Hokage." Ritsuka beamed.

"Wow really? Did she lose a bet?" Kakashi rolled his eyes at her silly joke, but was glad for the sudden change of mood. "So when did this happen?"

"About four years ago. Orochimaru attacked Konoha and killed the third. It was all quite a mess, but Naruto went with..." Ritsuka waited for Kakashi to continue. "Naruto brought her back." Ritsuka nodded, knowing that Kakashi was hiding something. She decided not to press on with it, worrying that she wouldn't like what he was going to say.

"I understand, don't tell me." She laughed sadly as Kakashi kissed her forehead through his mask. Kakashi pulled back from her as two villagers walked passed, giggling and laughing as they carried on. "It's weird. Like they don't know a thing. The way they can all just pretend like everything is okay. It's mental." Kakashi brushed some of Ritsuka's hair out of her face again, his eyes burning.

"Not everyone knows what you know. And you know an awful lot." Ritsuka smiled sadly.

"Oh! I almost forgot. The Aranii have an aging process like everything else I suppose, but we can't let them get to adolescence. The first stages of life, when they are babies, they just run around killing and eating, the second stage is the malleable stage, that's what Kentaro's armies are made up of. But once a hoard show signs of adolescence, he would have them incinerated." Kakashi frowned.

"Why?" Ritsuka bit her lip.

"They become... Uncontrollable. Their testosterone levels rocket sky high, and all they think about is... Sex. Like a normal teenager, only they don't have any understanding of right and wrong, and the hormones regulators have been lost through experimentation, so the levels just increase constantly. They become almost immortal since they don't feel pain, though they can be killed, but until they are dead, their ridiculously strong and violent, with a sex drive to dwarf even yours." Kakashi smirked, though the seriousness of the situation still hung in the air. He watched as Ritsuka avoided his gaze, fumbling and fidgeting again.

"They didn't..." Ritsuka looked at him, her eyes glistening with new tears. "You weren't... Ritsuka!" He almost crushed Ritsuka as he held her close again. "Fuck." He mumbled into her neck.

"It wasn't as bad as you think. Kentaro didn't know that's what happened. It was a long time ago, just feels so knew since I'm just remembering it. He managed to stop it before it got to far... but there was just so many of them, all touching and..." She shivered as she hugged herself. Kakashi kissed her through his mask, his arms circling round her and pulling her so that she was now sitting sideways on his crossed legs, allowing her to lay her head on his shoulder.

"It's all going to be okay. You don't have to go back with him. You're here with me now, and I'm not taking my eye off of you." Ritsuka smirked.

"You have to blink, and sleep." Kakashi ruffled her hair as he laughed softly, amazed at how strong the girl in his arms was.

He couldn't afford to lose her twice, but it was going to prove difficult to keep her...

**Yeah so here are my usual appologies: sorry it's so late! god im so useless . please don't hate me! XD**

**This is an extra long chapter to hopefully make it up to you guys, if you're still reading. a lot of nothing happens here, but there is a lot of dialog, and some things will now begin to make more sense. i hope.**

**and please don't hate me about kentaro, it had been my plan at the beginning for him to be in five bits so... yeah**

**hope you's are still reading and things will get more exciting soon i hope ^^::**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Kakashi watched as Ritsuka snored softly, her open mouth drooling slightly on his shoulder. He mulled over their conversation, his mind racing.

Kentaro was alive.

A sense of failure washed over him as he pulled at his hair slightly, the strain on his scalp almost relieving him of his now apparent migraine. He was so sick of all of this shit! He had been so sure that it was all over, but he should have known. Should have known the prick had come up with some way to elongate his pathetic life, and Kentaro's near misses of death were really pissing him off. If he had just killed the fucker when he had had the chance all those years ago, Ritsuka wouldn't be in this mess and they would have brought up their son like normal parents, maybe even had a couple more kids and lived as a happy little shinobi family.

Well, as happy as one could in the shinobi world...

Kakashi breathed out slowly as he calmed himself. There was no use getting all wound up about the past, and 'what he should have done'. He had done plenty of that. He had to concentrate now of finding the three body locations and eliminate Kentaro for good, and Ritsuka knew where these places were. So hopefully things would go smoothly. He would have to call the jounins for a meeting to sort their next course of action out. He had a job to do, a duty to his country and these people that would die without him and his fellow shinobi, so he couldn't waste anymore time.

Kakashi watched as the Ritsuka began to toss and turn again, her mumbled nonsense erratic and fearful as usual. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she fought with her invisible demons. Kakashi had no idea what she dreamed of exactly, but as they talked more, he was beginning to understand the kinds of things that haunted her. He rubbed her tears away gently, hoping not to wake her. He held his breath when she mumbled softly as she calmed down, his touch being apparently what she needed.

Kakashi stared off towards the camp, noticing how people were beginning to settle down properly for the day. They were still travelling by night, but Kakashi had allowed another day for resting after the last attack from the Aranii. Most of the evacuees wouldn't have managed to keep moving without having slept for almost two days.

"Shit!" Ritsuka jumped to her feet suddenly and stumbled back from Kakashi, her eyes wide and hands held up defensively. Kakashi got to his feet slowly, allowing the girl time to adjust from dream to reality.

"It's alright. You're safe." Ritsuka didn't calm down as she dropped her hands, her body shaking as she dropped to her knees clutching at her head. "Ritsuka?" Kakashi supported the girl as she fell forward groaning in pain.

"Make it stop!" She forced out, her jaw tense as she pulled at Kakashi's arms. "Their faces! Make them go away!" She started swatting away at nothing in front of her, her eyes filling with yet more tears. Kakashi pulled Ritsuka round so that she could bury her face in his jumper, hushing her as her sobs came. She struggled against his hold for only a few seconds before giving up and allowing him to run his fingers through her hair and wipe the tears from her eyes. "Sorry." She mumbled, not making eye contact with the man. A blush was forming on her cheeks.

"It's alright. Like I said. I understand and I'm here for you, so stop feeling embarrassed about things you can't help. This is a natural reaction to years of suppressed memories and trauma. You are doing amazingly well not to be totally insane already..." Ritsuka smiled weakly, her head spinning.

"Kyoya! Jesus Kakashi, where is Kyoya? Oh! I'm a terrible mother! I should have asked as soon as I woke earlier! You know I missed like the first four years of his life? How horrible does that make me? And I've only just started to actually act like a mum a year ago and now look at me! Forgetting to bloody ask is he's okay! Maybe because I put someone in charge of him I've just lost all my responsibility as a- " Kakashi put his hand over Ritsuka's mouth, her muffled breakdown eventually petering out.

"You have asked. Twice." Ritsuka looked up at Kakashi, her heart rate slowing. He removed his hand when he was sure she wasn't going to go spiralling into despair again and bombard him with her self degrading rubbish.

"I did? Oh..." Kakashi nodded, stroking her face lightly.

"When I was carrying you back to Sakura, you told me that you put Kisuke in charge of looking after him. And you wondered if he was alright." Kakashi picked Ritsuka up again, her yelp of surprise making him smile. He repositioned them against the comfy tree he had found earlier, and continued his explanation. "So I went and checked it out, Kyoya was fine, though very concerned about you. Said something about kicking your ass for not saying anything to him..." Ritsuka rolled her eyes and laughed lightly. "The second time was when I brought you over here so you could get some rest. A lot of the villagers kept coming over to ask if you were okay, so I hid us. Seems you've made quite an impression on them." Ritsuka pulled a face, clearly not agreeing.

"Really? They were so angry at me, all the time. 'We're too tired to walk' and 'Are you trying to kill us' and 'she's not competent enough. She's no shinobi'." Kakashi ruffled her hair, laughing at her uncanny impressions.

"Well, I think they are all quite happy with how you handled everything, though there will always be the few who feel you could have done better. It's the way people are." Ritsuka nodded, snuggling back into her sleeping position.

"Well they can all just piss off..." Kakashi laughed as he felt the girls breathing even out, indicating she was asleep again. She was going to be a nightmare to keep awake.

...

"So the guy you killed is behind all of this, but he's not dead, and we have to kill him three more times before he will be? Cause he split his _soul_?" Yamato rubbed his head as he tried to understand everything. "Not only that, but because he has changed bodies, he no longer has control of the Aranii? And some will be hitting adolescence in the foreseeable future, and people will be sexed to death? Jesus Kakashi! This is all a bit mental." Kakashi nodded as he propped his head up on the table that the jounin were currently sitting at.

"That's what Ritsuka tells me, and I believe her. We have seen the creatures, and Kentaro is capable of all these despicable things, I have no doubt- " Gai slammed his hand against the table, effectively silencing the silver haired shinobi.

"THAT ASSHOLE! He is probably capable of voodoo! And he cares for nothing apart from himself and Ritsuka!" Ritsuka ducked her head, feeling the gaze of the room on her. She pulled at her hair nervously, never having been one for being the centre of attention. When she thought about everything she knew, she could understand why people were a bit sceptical of her.

"I have no doubt that the information that Ritsuka is about to give us will be invaluable. She has been to all of Kentaro's hideouts, and will lead us to him." Kakashi gestured for Ritsuka to speak, her nerves fluttering in her stomach. She hated speaking out in front of people too, and she couldn't help but wonder if Kakashi did this kind of stuff deliberately...

"Well, as you all know, there are three more locations we need to go to. One is underground and two are within the walls of mountains. I can lead you there, but I'll need to count steps and landmarks etc. to get to them. So it will take a bit of time. We have around seventy-two hours until Kentaro will be fully ready to walk, and a further twenty-four hours before he will be back to his good old, taking over the world self. So we need to act fast. One of the locations is about six hours walk, the other two at around four hours each. We should have plenty of time, but to be sure we should leave as soon as possible." Ritsuka rubbed at her hands nervously as she looked desperately at Kakashi, begging him to take over again. He ruffled her hair as he asked if there were any questions about everything that had been discussed so far.

"I have one." Shikamaru leaned forward, his fingers interlocked in an inquisitive pose. "Which one of the three locations will have the rising Kentaro? Surely we should head there first?" Kakashi looked at Ritsuka, obviously something that had been puzzling him as well.

"Um... it's completely random. The form he takes. When he dies, he doesn't get to chose." Some of the jounins nodded in understanding.

"And the Aranii? Will some be at these locations?" Shikamaru seemed to have more than one question. Ritsuka shrugged.

"It's possible, but they will be uncontrolled." Some of the jounin exchanged worried looks. Being sexed to death by a monster was not very high on anyone's to do list.

"Are there any other weaknesses we should know about?" Ritsuka scratched her head as she thought.

"The older they get, the less likely things affect them. They can go out in the daylight, they can withstand water as long as it's not deep enough for them to drown in, and there strength is so much increased that they don't register pain. The best thing to do is to remove their heads or hearts as soon as possible." Shikamaru nodded as he leant back in his seat again, though he wasn't finished with his interrogation.

"How do we avoid Kentaro's blood line?" Ritsuka looked at Kakashi, knowing that he had the answer. The sharingan.

"Me." Kakashi smiled under his mask. "The sharingan is a powerful tool in defeating Kentaro. The byakugan as well will prove just as useful. His control no longer relies on the hypnosis it once did. Now he can just capture you with his chakra strings. Our eye techniques can see these chords, whereas, non users will have no idea where he has sent them. Once he has you, there's no escaping him." The shinobi in the room finally began to understand why Ritsuka had been gone for so long.

"Nothing at all?" Anko pushed herself from the wall, her cocky grin in place. "I'm sure I could give that egotistical prick a run for his money." Kakashi shook his head as he laughed softly.

"There is no escaping him. His chords can go in through your eyes, ears, nose, mouth, or all of the above. He controls your brain. It's nothing to with how strong you are or how brilliant your will power is. Once he has you, he's got you. End of story. So no heroics. Only those with eye techniques such as the byakugan or the sharingan will proceed into the hideouts. Understood?" Everyone in the room agreed, some a little less enthusiastic than others.

"So what will the rest of us do?" Yamato seemed to be in deep thought as he studied Kakashi. Worried almost. Ritsuka would have to ask about that. She had a feeling it had something to do with Kakashi.

"I will need a group of shinobi to ensure Ritsuka's safety when the eye technique users enter the hideouts. Also, a search and destroy order has been given." Kakashi turned to Ritsuka as he continued. "The effects of these transformations are irreversible," he turned back to the group, "and every care must be taken to ensure that all the creatures are destroyed. None are to be spared for what they become is just too horrific to leave alone." The room agreed more enthusiastically on this point, everyone feeling the haunting chill of the Aranii more so than ever.

"Ritsuka?" Shikamaru leant forward again, more questions in mind. She nodded her head for the boy to continue. "Can these Aranii reproduce?" Kakashi nodded, also having pondered upon the point himself. Ritsuka shook her head as she explained.

"The Aranii are males only. Even though the children used to make them are both male and female," A couple of shinobi sucked in a breath in shock and disgust at the mention of children, "he changed their chromosomal make up. He changed the female XX chromosome pair to an XY by either cutting one of the X's to size, or by replacing the pair entirely. So they can't interbreed. Kentaro also ensured that they were sterile. In the DNA degradation process, he programmed the Aranii to miss out the production of sex cells. Everything else that is in normal ejaculate is still produced, just not the sperm, so even if they do have sex with human females, they cannot reproduce. This is so there would be no issues with half-breeds etc..." Ritsuka blushed as she explained a little more in depth than she had intended. Where had her outgoing nature gone? The room stayed quiet as Ritsuka stared at the floor, the full horror of what Kentaro had done falling on all of them.

"Then what are we sitting about here for?" Gai jumped from his seat, another strange and extravagant pose in place. "We should put these children out of their miseries!" Gai wiped at the tears flowing from his eyes, his rage clearly evident.

"Can they... Do they still have consciousness? Do the children suffer inside the beasts?" Kuranai stared desperately at Ritsuka, as if pleading for her to say no, but she couldn't lie no matter how much she wanted to.

"It is... uncertain. Kentaro told me that they didn't to ease my thoughts when I began to come to my senses. But, I have seen into their eyes, and..." Ritsuka swallowed back a lump in her throat. "Their eyes are cold, and dead, but there is a flicker of pain and inner turmoil. I can't tell you that they don't feel, because I've seen their anguish. And I've also seen their relief when they die..." Kakashi placed a hand on her shoulder, finely tuned into her metal state being on the edge.

This was too much for her right now.

"Yamato, I've put together a strategy plan, if you could pin it up over there for me, and Ritsuka, hold this map up." Kakashi diverted the discussion onto more productive things. Kuranai mouthed an apology as he relayed his many plans, and he nodded in acknowledgment.

Having a child really changes a person.

...

"Oh that was awful! You know I hate speaking out like that..." Ritsuka shivered as she recalled the uncomfortable feelings she had just experienced. Sometimes, she felt like people didn't believe her, and sometimes felt like they blamed her for it all. But then again, that could just be her apparent paranoia, or that she in fact blamed herself. She had no idea, and resulted to rubbing her head as a painful headache came to her.

"You got over it a while back. Seems to me like you have lost quite a lot of your confidence and self belief over the past six years." Ritsuka shrugged as she felt Kakashi's intense gaze on her, trying her best not to catch his eye.

"Do you blame me?" She felt so pathetic. Kakashi slinked his arm around her shoulder as they walked around the camp, and kissed the side of her head softly. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, savouring the loving experience. "But it's okay. We'll get you back to normal in no time." Ritsuka nodded, though she couldn't believe him. She couldn't let go of everything she had been forced to do...

All those children...

"Kyoya is just over here. The rest of your little fan group have been quite upset about your predicament, and have all been asking to see if you were okay. We only have a couple of hours left before the evacuation sets out towards the North western countries again, and we head back South. So I figured you would probably want to-" Kakashi was cut off as Ritsuka suddenly wrapped herself around him, her arms crushing him slightly.

"You're the best!" She had cheered up surprisingly well, and Kakashi couldn't help but blush a little at her oozing affection for him. Her brilliant smile always seemed to dazzle him, especially when it twinkled in the setting sun.

Fuck... He'd do anything for her.

The two continued their walk through the camp, most of the people still sleeping, or packing up to get ready to go. They smiled at the pair as they passed, a couple even thanking Ritsuka for saving them. Ritsuka would just shrug and say she was just doing what anyone else would have done in her position, Kakashi rolling his eyes at her overly modest nature. At least that hadn't changed much.

"Mum!" Kyoya's voice rang through the clearing, a few disgruntled growls from some sleeping villagers reminding him that he should really be quiet, but he couldn't help it. He dropped his bag that he had been busy repacking for the fifth time, and ran towards his parents, his eyes glistening with tears of relief and frustration. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He jumped up into her outstretched arms, Kakashi giving her a look that told her to be careful. She held him tight as Kyoya cuddled into her warm and alive heat, giving her a row all the while. "You are so irresponsible and careless that I'm beginning to think you really are just trying to die. Like you're fucking suicidal." Kakashi cleared his throat at the swearing, and also stopped the boy from touching any more of Ritsuka's emotional wounds. The boy had no idea that his mother was in fact suicidal, she had managed to keep everything from him so well.

"Just because your mother swears in every second word, doesn't mean you should pick up the habit." Kyoya ducked his head as he gave a cheeky grin, loving the discipline he was getting. So this was what it felt like to have two parents.

"Yeah you little shit, swearing is my thing!" Kyoya laughed at the joke, hugging his mother tightly again. He had missed her voice. "So, you been looking after everyone I hope?" Kyoya nodded enthusiastically, clearly loving his important job.

"Of course I have. Everyone is alive and well, though we all thought you were dead for a while, so everyone was a little depressed. But it's all okay now." Kyoya grinned again, clearly over the moon that everything had worked out nicely. Ritsuka cringed at the thought of having to tell him in a couple of hours that they were going to have to part ways again so that she could go back with Kakashi and find Kentaro again.

"I knew you would, and I'm sorry to hear that I've put everyone through such shit again. You guys worry too much!" Ritsuka beamed at her son, trying her best to hide the cracks in her lies.

"Well if you would just stop dying, I'm sure that would help keep everyone from worrying..." Kyoya frowned at his mother, clearly unimpressed with her attempt to hide the seriousness of the past, well, forever. He couldn't remember a time when she wasn't in pain or close to death. Always one thing or another... "But its fine now right? I heard the shinobi won the war? That you beat the Aranii?" Kakashi gave a side glance to Ritsuka's faltering smile.

"Not quite." Kakashi spoke this time, taking Kyoya's attention away from the now downcast Ritsuka.

"You mean... We're not going home?" Kakashi shook his head, and Ritsuka tightened her grip on her six year old son. He was so young, yet he had been through more shit than most his age could even imagine. She hated to see him come to conclusions so despairingly, how he would choke up as if to cry, but swallow back his fear and hurt so as to be more supportive. She knew the look so well that she just wanted to force him to cry it all out. But Kyoya had made his choice to grow up quicker than he was capable of, a lot like his father had. She could see the inner turmoil circling in Kakashi's visible eye, his own experience with such maturity so young bringing back horrible memories. She remembered that he had promised never to force his kids to grow up like he had forced himself. Promised to ensure that they experienced as healthy a childhood as he could provide them with. She could see his own sense of failure clearer than ever as he cleared his throat.

"We still have the issue of Kentaro to sort out. We can't just go on our merry way and allow that kind of evil to spread. It is not the shinobi way. If there are people suffering, then they will be helped." Kyoya's eyes opened in shock as he took in what Kakashi was saying.

"I didn't... of course I don't think we should leave people to suffer, I just thought it was over. If he doesn't have his army or mum, then he has nothing. Can't he just... go away?" Ritsuka put one arm under Kyoya so he could sit on it while she stroked her hand through his hair lovingly. He would pretend to hate the attention, but would never stop her from doing it.

"Unfortunately, people like Kentaro don't work like that. He had nothing for years, and still managed to turn into the man we know today. Ritsuka is also coming with us. She is the only-"

"No! You're just going to get captured again!" He clutched at Ritsuka, his hands embedding themselves in her jumper. He looked at Kakashi as he spoke, his quiet voice thick with pain. "You didn't see the pain he caused her... You didn't watch her suffering, knowing that there was nothing you could do to stop it! You didn't see him make her do things that she hated, that she beat herself up for! That she hated herself for! She can't go back, she can't!" Ritsuka hushed Kyoya as he let hot tears burn his cheeks.

"Ritsuka is the only one who knows where his hideouts are. She is vital to us finishing this forever. Don't you think I would have sent her back to Konoha already if this wasn't our only option?" Kyoya calmed down as he saw the need to protect Ritsuka a priority to Kakashi. Something that both father and son shared. "Even if I had to tie her up and have someone carry her, I would. I know just how stubborn she can be, as I am sure you do to." Kyoya laughed at the thought of his parents arguing, and his mother being tied to the back of Kisuke as he walked home. She would have been so pissed!

"Hey! I'm still here guys. And no one is tying me up or carrying me anywhere. I'm getting the hang of this shinobi stuff! I'll kick your ass Hatake, and you know it." Kakashi laughed as he ruffled her hair.

"Dream on. I've got six more years practise and learning on you. And of course the sharingan. But even without it, you're still out of your depth." Kyoya laughed again, his hand covering his mouth as he tried to stifle it. Ritsuka smiled at the happy family scene, glad that she had managed to change the subject so successfully.

"Well I have Kyoya!" Ritsuka spun the boy from his hugging position and held him towards Kakashi like a loaded bomb. The boy giggled more as he pulled a fighting pose, his eyes semi-serious.

"Oh, I did overlook that factor. But if my calculations are right, which they always are, I'm pretty sure there is a disable button right about..." Kakashi reached up with both hands and began to tickle the boy, his strangled giggles and cries of 'please stop' ringing in the now bustling camp.

"Oh he is a nasty cheater!" Ritsuka cried pulling the boy back and placing him on the ground. "He only knows about you're tickly bits, because he himself has them." Kakashi covered his sides up quickly, pretending to be afraid of the boy in front of him.

"Please don't." He begged, his smile wide under his mask. The boy looked expectantly at his mother and she winked back.

"On three." Kyoya nodded. "One." Ritsuka made a couple of hand seals, Kakashi beginning to get concerned at the possibility of the girl exerting herself unnecessarily. "Two." She finished and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Kyoya spun round in disbelief. "Three!" Ritsuka appeared behind Kakashi, her hands slipping through his arms, trapping them.

"Careful." Kakashi whispered as Kyoya jumped at him, His fingers searching for Kakashi tickly spot, which Ritsuka helpfully informed him was just below his floating ribs. Kakashi struggled playfully as the boy found it, but held back his laughter as he felt his pride take control.

"Oh no fair." Kyoya moaned, realising that Kakashi was not letting him win. Kakashi flipped his arms free from Ritsuka's and got a hold of her middle, twirling her in his arms as he swooped her off of the ground.

"You will probably find that your mum is much easier to make laugh. She has so many tickly spots it's just ridiculous." Ritsuka struggled against his insanely strong hold. Her body wasn't ready for this wrestling stuff.

"No! Don't you dare!" Kakashi smiled through his mask at her.

"But it was okay for me?" Ritsuka's eyes opened wide as she continued to struggle.

"I knew you wouldn't laugh! I will though and it's so embarrassing!" Kakashi nodded, quite aware of how funny it would be.

"Here is the best one." Kakashi slinked his free hand up under Ritsuka's arm and began to wriggle his fingers around. Ritsuka slapped a hand against her mouth as her eyes watered, her body convulsing as she choked back her laughter. Kyoya joined in then, his little fingers probing at her sides. It was too much. Ritsuka felt a blush rise to her cheeks as her laughter grew in volume, verging on hysterics.

"Hahah! Stop please! Hahah! It hurts! Ah!" She fought against Kakashi as he righted her again, placing her gently on her feet. He had made his point. Kyoya lay on the ground laughing and pointing at his mum, having never seen such a thing happen to her before. He then watched as Ritsuka pushed Kakashi away playfully, her arms folding as she went into a fake mood.

"Hatake Kakashi. You are a fuck. Stay over there." Kakashi laughed as he took a step back, his eyes on her all the while. He had felt her energy fall quickly after the teleportation technique she had tried and didn't want to be too far away from her if she collapsed. She was so silly at times. "And you, Kyoya, are a traitor!" Kyoya continued to laugh as he watched their charade unfold. Some of the other orphans had made their way over to the commotion, their smiling faces making Ritsuka blush harder. She eyed Kakashi suspiciously. "You are terrible, do you know that?" Kakashi smiled happily as he continued to watch her, fighting the urge to take her away and screw her senseless. He wasn't sure when he had gone from enjoying the fun to wanting more, but what he did know was that his need was beginning to take physical form. He adjusted his trousers slightly as he ruffled Ritsuka hair, her fiery gaze threatening him.

"We have about an hour left." Kakashi spoke so quietly that only Ritsuka heard, her gaze falling to the ground.

"Really?" Kakashi nodded as he watched Kyoya explain what had been going on to the other kids. They all laughed as they now understood the shenanigans that had gone on. He feared that Ritsuka might want to keep them all when they were done with there mission ahead...

"We still have to pack, and I will have to ensure that everyone understands the orders, so that's why we only have an hour." Ritsuka nodded, appreciating the lengths Kakashi was going to ensure that she saw Kyoya and the kids.

"Ritsuka?" The small voice of Tidus rang through the laughter, his hands reaching in front of him as he tried to find her. She walked over to him and picked him up, her fingers interlocking with one of his outstretched arms. "You are all better?" The boy's brilliant smile was contagious.

"Yes. I feel a lot better thank you. And how are you?" Tidus's smile faltered as he fought the urge to cry.

"Fine." A blatant lie. She placed a hand on the boy's cheek, making him look at her. The action was pointless, but the boy seemed to love the contact. His eyes closed as he felt her skin against his, her warmth comforting him. "I hear you are leaving again." The boy had exceptional hearing, something that had been accelerated due to his blindness.

"Yes, but only for a while. I will find you all again, and we can get you a nice home somewhere. Everything will be fine. You'll see." Tidus scratched his head, his tiny hands rather cute.

"Will you be with us in this new home?" Ritsuka felt a pang of fear hit her. Could she promise that? She had to think of Kakashi, as well as money, and all sorts... Nineteen kids was... quite a feat.

"I won't just disappear if that's what you mean. I might not be living with you, but I will visit regularly. It just depends on what happens I guess..." Tidus nodded sadly, his fingers playing with her hair absently.

"Kakashi being good to you?" Ritsuka smiled. This protective nature over her seemed to be becoming quite common.

"He has indeed. He is very good to me." Tidus nodded, happy with the answer.

"Good. So I don't need to beat him up?" Ritsuka laughed and pinched the boy's cheek affectionately.

"Not yet. But I'll keep you posted." The little blonde boy laughed, his pale eyes staring off to the left. She was going to make this boy see somehow, even if it wasn't with his eyes.

Ritsuka spent the rest of her hour talking with the group, their excited stories and plans for the future warming her heart. She loved to see the passion in their eyes as they spoke of becoming shinobi, and saving the world like they had been saved. Some had even taken to memorising some hand seals that they had seen being done, though of course without chakra control, they were harmless. Kakashi even set up some scenarios for the kids to think about, to help them tell the difference between right and wrong, as well as to see the grey side of things. Ritsuka had done some of the same things in the past, but Kakashi was much better at inciting arguments and controversy with his bland expression not giving away his lies. He would give them opinions that they would disagree with, and ask them to change his mind, giving them the beginnings of skills in negotiation.

All too soon, the hour they had passed by, and Kyoya was wrapped up in Ritsuka's clothing, claiming to have captured her. This of course began a giant dog pile, where all the kids proceeded to flatten poor Ritsuka to the ground. Kakashi had allowed the fun to go on for a minute or so before reciting some shinobi rules, motivating the kids to allow Ritsuka to leave. They all began to understand the sacrifices that people had to make, and Kyoya was beginning to respect his mother's crazy dealings with death.

It was the life of a shinobi.

**OMG! i know! two weeks in a row and i have uploaded a huge chapter! DUCK! its the end of the world!**

**... so yeah. Here we are, moving on with the story. Just another chapter to fill in the blanks. hope things are making much more sense now, and months of rubbish is falling into place XD**

**so i hope you are all still liking it! and thank you oh so much to those who have been reviewing! You all totally make my day i sometimes cry a little lol!**

**well see you next chapter!**

**have fun~! XD**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 

Ritsuka struggled against Kakashi, his gentleman like nature going too far this time.

"I can carry my own fucking bag! I'm not an invalid! I feel awesome!" Kakashi rolled his eyes as he tried to crush her fingers slightly to force her to let go.

"Ritsuka, what use are you going to be if you over do things and I have to carry you? Don't you see a pattern in your apparent self destructive nature?" Ritsuka huffed in annoyance.

"I have been overdoing things for the past six years, and you weren't there to carry my bag then. So I suppose I'll just go on as I have been, and suck it up!" Kakashi let go of her bag then, his brow knitted in annoyance. That had been a little harsh, and the girl's usual tact about these things was nowhere to be seen.

"And you were in some mess when I found you. Sucking it up just doesn't cut it. Never did and never will when it comes to you." Ritsuka put her backpack on her back and shoved her hair behind her ears. She didn't know why she was so annoyed; Kakashi had been so good to her. He was just trying to help... She took deep breaths as she fought to keep her rage in check, not sure that she had ever really been angry with silver haired shinobi. Frustrated, yeah, all the time, but angry? She felt quite ridiculous, but couldn't control it.

"Yeah, well I have my shinobi abilities back, and my chakra. So I think I'll be fine." Kakashi shrugged as he walked on to where the shinobi that were participating in the 'search for Kentaro' mission meeting up, just ahead. Ritsuka watched as he left her behind, her heart aching as she felt tears fill her eyes. What the hell was wrong with her? She looked down at her hands as her tears bounced off of them, her sobs racking through her painfully. Her knees buckled under the strain of her breakdown, but Kakashi's strong arms prevented her from hitting the ground. She clutched at his flak jacket, her hands balling into fists. "Fuck!" Kakashi stared at her, unsure on what to do. This had been a normal argument, maybe with a little more venom that he was used to from the girl, so why was she so upset? "Don't leave me!" Kakashi pulled back from Ritsuka to look into her eyes, his expression confused.

"Why would I leave you?" Ritsuka shook her head as she sucked in some deep breaths, her laboured breathing calming slightly. She could feel herself getting hysterical. But what the fuck for? Kakashi pulled Ritsuka back into a hug, deciding that this was probably just a reaction to everything that had happened. The girl had been bound to crack at some point, and he was quite surprised it hadn't happened sooner. Though this was a little in convenient...

"I don't... know... what's wrong... with me." She rubbed and squeezed her hands nervously as she tried to block out all of her thoughts, her huge and terrifying fears of Kakashi leaving her apparently having sneaked in somewhere along the line. Maybe it was all this good stuff that had been happening was making her expect the worst? Or maybe she was just insane? Or she was broken...

"There is nothing wrong with- "

"Are you blind?" Ritsuka burst out, clearly not handling this as well as she had been portraying. This had all been kept inside for so long, and she had finally relaxed into her new life. Kakashi took a deep breath, realising that this was a time for silence and reassurance, rather than a time for talking sense into the girl. He was never too amazing at this due to Ritsuka always being able to talk her way through things when they were together, and he was quite relieved that he had paid attention through it all. It had helped him help her in ways that only he could, with things that he would even have thought of. He held her tightly as reality hit him again and he began to panic about time, but everyone was used to the silver haired shinobi being late. This just wasn't one of those silly missions though.

"Can you do this?" Kakashi pulled away from her again, his gaze analysing her. "I need you to be able to do this, or we are pretty screwed. I will have to find another way, and I would rather do this sooner rather than later. I'm not going to take you all the way back to the place you spent so long trying to escape to have you breakdown like this. I can't get rid of Kentaro and keep you from killing yourself at the same time." Ritsuka bit back her sobs as she steadied herself, surprised at the worry Kakashi's voice held.

But he was right. He had to concentrate on the job at hand, not hang back and worry about what crazy moment Ritsuka was going to have next.

"I'm good." She hiccoughed as she collected herself, her eyes closing as she concentrated on slowing her heart and mind, and her nails scratching at her arm subconsciously. Kakashi took her hand in his, effectively stopping further self damage as well as giving her some support as he began to lead her towards the forming group.

"I know you are." Kakashi kissed her forehead through his mask just before they entered the clearing. He swallowed back his own fear and panic, feeling completely at a loss. If he could do this without her, he would have...

...

The group covered a lot of distance through the night, with no sightings of any of the Aranii. Ritsuka had carried her bag of course, though she was exhausted with trying to keep up with everyone. They had taken to jumping through trees, a form of transport Ritsuka used to love, but now hated. She was so unused to controlling her chakra so much that she was ready to collapse within the first few hours. But she pushed on, desperate to prove to Kakashi that she was not the dead weight he had been anticipating.

"You feeling alright?" Kakashi walked back from the huge fire he had made in their camp for the day, his eyes shining in the red and orange glow it gave off. Ritsuka nodded, worried that if she spoke, she would give away her current tired state. "I don't know why you feel you have to lie to me, but I would prefer it if you didn't." Ritsuka looked at the ground. "How am I meant to monitor your health if you won't tell me know when you're tired or in pain? I saw how you were stumbling near the end there, and how you immediately sat down. Your smile can fool others, but I know you." Kakashi smiled, but Ritsuka could feel how serious he was being. "Please, Ritsuka. It's hard enough trying to protect someone as stubborn as you. Don't make it harder by keeping things from me." Ritsuka looked into his eyes, her gaze stern.

"I feel like shit. My legs are burning and my lungs hurt. My body is screaming for in agony all over in fact. And my throat is still fucked from whatever Sakura did, and I don't know if I can get up from this stump. Not only do I feel physically broken, but I can't control my emotions. I have cried four times today. Four! I have spouts of paranoia, and think everyone is blaming me for all this shit, that they know I made those kids- " Ritsuka, slapped a hand over her mouth, silencing herself. Kakashi watched as she calmed down, her eyes red from tears. He had noticed her crying through the day, but knew that mentioning it would only spur on more. He had to wait until they were alone, so as to protect her pride and feelings. She would have been devastated to know that everyone had seen her break down again, and would probably try to prove herself to the others again, effectively destroying herself. God she was unstable these days...

"Don't hold back like that. You need to get this out, and I want to know what it is you think and feel. Otherwise, I won't be able to understand what's going on with you, and I definitely won't be able to help you." Ritsuka nodded, wiping her tears away with her soggy sleeve.

"I think I'm insane." Her quiet words held more pain than he had heard from her in a while, and the cold truth behind them hung in the air. She looked like a child then, her curled up figure and vulnerable eyes. His heart broke as he saw the raw pain she felt, her nervous twitches and ticks increasing as she jerked her head behind her, as if checking for someone coming.

"You've always been insane." Ritsuka looked up at Kakashi, her eyes portraying her pained confusion. "You're an absolute nutter. For years I was a total dick to you, but you followed me around being the best friend I could have ever had. Maybe a better word would be masochist. Your whole life you have been staying in situations where you get hurt beyond anything imaginable, and you do it alone, because for some fucked up reason you think you deserve it. Then if you're not being hurt enough, you go out looking for more, taking on more dangerous missions, trying to change the world knowing that it's impossible. It's like you enjoy pain, you enjoy struggling." Ritsuka stared at Kakashi. They had had many of these discussions in the past, Kakashi getting frustrated when she ran off and did what he would see as stupid things for no reason. But he had worked it out not long after they had finally gotten together, his quick brain deciphering her like she had been a puzzle. She didn't really understand her self destructive nature herself, but Kakashi had some good ideas from where it stemmed.

Her whole life was pain.

From her family since the day she was born to the fucked up nature of her and Kakashi's friendship as kids, from the countless deaths of her close friends to the beating herself up about things she did, but could not control.

Ritsuka scratched subconsciously at her arms again, Kakashi harsh words hurting her.

But he was right.

He was always right.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck as he watched Ritsuka disappear again, her thoughts and feelings locked up in that tight vault of hers.

"I... I'm sorry. After all this time you would have thought I would have some tact." Ritsuka smiled at Kakashi's apology, nodding in agreement. It had been six years since they had been interacting with each other, so she could let this one slip. "I know this is hard for you, and I shouldn't have said all that, because this is different. The last six years have been more then difficult, and like I've said, I'm surprised you're still sane enough to function. I just want you to talk to me. I want to know why you do things like this." He gestured to Ritsuka's arms and she pulled away, her guilty eyes looking away from his. "I want to help you, I want to be there for you, but you won't let me. I'm not Kyoya." Ritsuka sucked in a deep breath as her tears returned, her frustrated groan indicating her annoyance with them.

"Kakashi?" Yamato stood at the other side of the fire, his expression apologetic. "The others are returning with food and more fire wood, and I have finished our place to sleep." Kakashi nodded, and thanked his friend for the heads up. "You should go inside and talk." Ritsuka buried her face in her jumper, trying to hide her shame. Had he heard everything?

"I think we will." Kakashi thanked Yamato again as he picked Ritsuka up. She didn't struggle this time.

"There is a separate room at the back. I figured you might need some alone time?" Kakashi smiled as he pushed his back against the door of the great house, Ritsuka hiding herself in his clothing as best she could.

"You are a good friend Yamato." Yamato almost wept at the comment. Not only did he say he was his friend, but that he was a good one!

"I-I-I... Thank you!" Yamato closed the door behind them and Kakashi walked to the back of the building, where, indeed, there was a room sectioned off.

Kakashi placed Ritsuka down on the wooden floor, her weak legs falling to the side as she held herself in a sitting position with shaky arms. She cursed as she felt her body vibrate as her emotions grew more unorganised, her headaches returning with a vengeance. Kakashi watched as she stared at the floor, her tears falling on the wood with a soft patting noise. He helped her remove her bag before he set up her bed with blankets and a sleeping bag that he had packed for her.

"I'm sorry." Ritsuka, even though she was crying, kept her voice steady and controlled. "I don't know... I can't... make it stop. I can't help how I feel, but I don't even know what it is I'm... feeling..." Kakashi's heart ached as he emptied his pack as well, laying out all the stuff they would need for the night. Yamato would keep them food, he was sure of it.

"Please. Stop apologising." Kakashi lifted Ritsuka and placed her on her blankets, her body relaxing as she lay down. Kakashi lay next to her, his gaze never leaving her. He was so worried it was beginning to make him feel sick.

"Hatake?" Kakashi sat up so that he was leaning over the girl, his eyes locking with hers. "I..." She could feel heat rising in her as he felt Kakashi's intense gaze mesmerise her. "I..." He waited patiently as she struggled for words. He grew puzzled when she smiled at him, her fingers playing in his hair as she spoke. "Maybe I'm just sexually frustrated." Kakashi was a little surprised by the sudden change in mood, but only a little bit annoyed about it. He wasn't going to lie. He too had been frustrated for a long time now.

"Ritsuka." He held her hand in his, stopping the amazing sparks that she was causing to run down his back. She rolled her eyes as she huffed.

"Look it just happens in seconds, and leaves again in seconds. I can't explain it, but I feel better now." Kakashi was unconvinced. "I just, I feel like I am holding everyone back. Like I am weak, and I am. And I know that. I just... don't want to be. And yeah I'm gona get upset 'cause I'm insane. And maybe I do chase sadness and revel in it."

"That's not what I said and you know- " Ritsuka put her hand over his mouth.

"Recently, it's been like I'm bipolar. I'll be so happy and then I get real upset about stuff so randomly, then none of it matters anymore, and I'm happy again. And right now, I feel like I can cope, and nothing matters to me except you. So fucking kiss me so I can seduce you, and get you into the mood for some awesome sexy time." Kakashi felt his cheeks heat up at the incredibly hot way that the girl beneath him was ordering him around. He tried to argue, but Ritsuka flicked her wrist, her hand escaping his, and pulled down his mask in the blink of an eye. He had always admired how she managed to do these things when she wanted sex.

"Only if you promise to tell me what's going on. Keep me in the loop. I want to trust that you will talk to me when it matters." Ritsuka nodded.

"I promise to try." Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"I suppose that's the best I'll get." He lowered himself then so that their noses touched. "And, just so you know, you have already seduced me." Ritsuka beamed as she felt her stomach tickle with butterflies.

"Excellent!" Ritsuka tilted her head so that their lips touched, Kakashi pressing his body against hers lightly. The delicious friction that followed was over whelming as Kakashi felt himself already losing control. They had had sex millions of times at least over the years they were together, but for some reason, this felt like the first time all over again. The raw need washing over them as their kissing increased in sloppiness, their bodies aching. "Fucking hell!" Ritsuka gasped as Kakashi pulled back to reposition himself between Ritsuka's legs, his body lying on top of her where he created sweet, sweet friction.

"It has been too long." Kakashi muttered as he got back to work, his lips connecting with Ritsuka hard and fast. Ritsuka kept up with the speed, though there was no way she was going to claim dominance, and she loved it. Her fingers pulled at his clothing, signalling that she was done waiting, and Kakashi complied by lifting his body off hers, Ritsuka's fingers making quick work of the many zips and buttons that kept his flak jacket on. She then yanked his jumper off, laughing as Kakashi groaned when they had to separate for the split second it took to pull the offending material over his head. He blushed as Ritsuka smiled at him hungrily, her hands holding him up so he couldn't get back to kissing her.

"You have more scars." Kakashi felt something sink in him as he panicked about the mood changing, but was relieved when Ritsuka began tracing her fingers over his pale scars and marks. Kakashi closed his eyes as he let Ritsuka touch and feel him, her soft giggles making him focus on her again. "I missed you." Her soft words washed over him, and he smiled. But enough talk.

Kakashi tugged at Ritsuka's jumper, well his jumper that she was currently wearing, indicating the urgency for it to be removed. Ritsuka blushed as she sat up, Kakashi kneeling back to allow her the arm room to pull off her clothing. She hadn't even pulled it over her head before Kakashi was touching her, Ritsuka breathing in deeply as he brushed his hand down her neck and past her collar bone, stopping just above her left nipple. She felt her lower regions twinge in hunger as he held her jumper over her face like a blindfold and changed position, now sitting behind Ritsuka with his legs either side of her. She felt his intense heat and hard member press lightly on her lower back, but was immediately distracted when icy fingers probed at her left nipple. He used his other hand to help pull the jumper the rest of the way off of her head quickly, his fingers working wonders. She bit her lip hard as he increased the friction, now mirroring his movement with his other hand on her right breast. She tried to hold herself together, to control her apparently urgent need for more, but it had been so long since she had been pleasured by Kakashi. He continued to rub and squeeze her aching nipples, teasing her, bringing her to an almost animal mindset. She needed to be fucked, and fucked now!

Kakashi took his time as he felt Ritsuka's body, clasped her breasts firmly in his cupped hands as he trailed his teeth gently across the exposed skin of her neck and shoulder. He loved how her breath increased in speed, how she would suck in when he applied a little more pressure to his tweaks and nibbles. He loved how her back was now arching slightly, her head almost thrown back. Time to take things to a higher level.

"Let yourself go." Kakashi leaned in until his lips touched the back of her ear. "Throw your head back, pant, moan, scream if you like. Just relax." Ritsuka couldn't believe her ears. She had always thought it quite funny to hear Kakashi talk dirty, but he was so much more... alluring than before. She let her breath come and go quicker, allowed her back to arch further so that her head was now leaning against Kakashi's shoulder. He pressed harder with his finger tips, grabbing and gently pulling on her breasts faster and faster. The speed of her breath too increased, her fingernails digging into the material of the couch on either side of Kakashi's legs. "That's it." Kakashi voice was low, and rumbled sexily in his chest as he spoke.

Ritsuka tried to stifle the moans that were threatening to leave, her body convulsing as if to betray her. She didn't want this to end so soon! Her hips pushed back, causing sweet friction against Kakashi's now aching cock. Ritsuka gasped as she felt Kakashi's grip tighten suddenly on her, her nipples solid. She tried her best to keep from screaming as he pushed harder and harder, the friction beginning to get a bit too much. And as if he had heard her, Kakashi dropped his hands to the hem of her trousers. She calmed herself as her breath returned to normal, trying to gain some sort of control.

"God you are wonderful." Kakashi muttered and started to fumble at Ritsuka's sides, lifting and dropping the other half of the offending garments in the way. He quickly helped to pull her trousers off and tossed them carelessly off to the side somewhere. He leant back and marvelled at the lean muscles of her back as Ritsuka turned to see what he was doing. He had always loved her athletic build, the way everything about her shape and skin was perfect. Even her millions of scars were part of her magnificent art work.

Ritsuka felt her heart race as she sat, almost completely naked, against the brilliant man behind her. She couldn't believe that she finally had him back. Kakashi then placed his frozen fingers further down and over her pants, grazing her sensitive areas lightly. She gasped as he applied much more pressure, rubbing and tapping her, stimulating her mind into oblivion. Her body arched and relaxed with each movement, causing more friction to occur.

Kakashi smiled as he could barely hear her little moans, vowing that he would make her scream at least once tonight. He then released her from his hold, licking his fingers sensually.

"Are you hot my dear?" He did love the dirty talk, especially after Jiraiya's books had given him so many ideas to try out. He blushed every time he said anything, and they had been together a long time before he tried it out, but Ritsuka didn't laugh too much, which he was happy with. "Do you want more?" His deep voice vibrated off of her shoulder. She replied in a heartbeat.

"Yes." Kakashi smiled to himself.

"Do you want me to touch here?" He nipped her nipple roughly, earning a startled gasp from the un-expecting girl.

"Yes!" she panted out, her body shaking from the effort to keep herself together.

"Do you like it here?" He rubbed all four fingers of his right hand back and forth across her searing heat, causing Ritsuka's legs to shoot open.

"Y-yes!" She shuddered, her body fatigued by all this attention.

Kakashi stopped what he was doing suddenly and moved off back to the bedding, careful not to let the now almost limp girl fall over. He knelt on the floor in front of Ritsuka, and slipped his fingers over the hem of her pants, slipping them off. He analysed her perfect shape as he she sat nervously, leaning back on her elbows, remembering every inch of her like the last six years hadn't happened. It was like everything about her had been engineered to be perfect for him, her shape, soft skin, understanding, personality, intelligence... everything.

Ritsuka had been enjoying Kakashi's surprisingly soft hands tracing up and down her legs that she hadn't quite expected to have her sensitive heat touched so suddenly, nor had she expected it to have been with the man's tongue. Pleasure washed over her like freezing water. Her back arched as her head almost touched the floor behind her, her gasp still resonating off all of the walls. She felt Kakashi's wet heat cover hers, his tongue dancing and exciting her with every flick. She tried to still herself as her legs opened wider, giving Kakashi more room to do as he pleased, and god did he take advantage.

Kakashi placed his hands on Ritsuka's hips as he adjusted his sitting position, pulling the girl towards him so that her back was now on the floor and her hips tilted upwards. He placed her thighs on top of his shoulders, tilting her so that he could push his tongue deep inside of her.

Ritsuka's eyes flew open once more as she felt stronger waves flush through her, heat building up rapidly in her lower regions. She felt like she were about to explode. Kakashi crossed his arms over her hips and lower abdomen, effectively trapping her. As time went by, Ritsuka's pants had turned to soft moans, her eyes shut and her arms thrown back to hold herself steady against the now warming floor. She could feel her self control slipping, wanting nothing more than to rip the clothes from the man currently torturing her and fuck him. But she had to wait, had to be patient as pleasure racked through her. She sighed when he finally stopped, her body slumping from the apparent effort she was making to keep herself still.

"You taste just like you used to." Ritsuka blushed as he placed her feet back on the floor, her wet nether regions screaming for attention. She would have to finish herself soon if he was going to keep this teasing up. Kakashi then reached over to his pack as he sat back, his eyes never leaving hers. Ritsuka blushed at her fully naked form, and began to make quick work with unclasping Kakashi's trousers, distracting herself from her embarrassment. He knelt up to she could pull them off, having finally retrieved what he had been searching for. She then tugged at his boxers, pulling them down to meet his trousers around his knees. He kicked them both off and almost groaned in pleasure as Ritsuka's hot mouth closed over his now twitching member. She licked and sucked on him expertly, his eyes closing in concentration as he took in deep breaths. She didn't have much time before Kakashi pushed her off, a soft popping noise echoing in the room. He breathed slowly for a few moments as Ritsuka lay back down again, Kakashi moving to lean over her. He tried to control his needs as he kissed her softly, his arms shaking as he held himself up. God, did his erection ache. He then held the condom he was currently holding in front of Ritsuka's face, and looked up at Ritsuka, his eyes asking her for permission. She nodded as she wiggled slightly, her sly smirk making him lose every ounce of control he had.

Kakashi sheathed himself before pushing in carefully, his shaky breath brushing over Ritsuka's face gently. He then waited as Ritsuka adjusted around him, all the while trying to slow his heart rate. He then began to move inside her, his movements were swift and confident, with a hint of desperation, and Ritsuka was relieved to feel the slight pain she was feeling quickly dissipate.

"Fucking hell." She moaned out as she felt heat building up in the pit of her stomach, her head rolling back and forth on the floor as she felt herself reaching her end quicker than she was hoping. "Ka-Kakashi!" Kakashi groaned as she moaned out his name, his thrusts getting faster and faster as he could also feel himself approaching climax. "I'm gonna-" Kakashi grunted in agreement as he felt himself shiver as he came, his stifled moans dancing with Ritsuka's muffled cries. She convulsed underneath him, her legs tightening around his waist as she saw stars, sighing as she relaxed against the floor. Kakashi fell on top of her as his arms gave out, and the two giggled as they caught their breath again.

"Sorry..." Kakashi muttered, his eyes now locking with Ritsuka's for a long moment. He then sighed as he pulled out of her, groaning as he remembered he would have to clean up. Ritsuka turned over on her side as she closed her eyes, her chest rising and falling as she relaxed for what felt like the first time in years. She felt her lower regions tingle with the dissipating feelings of excitement, but her heart continued to flutter as she heard Kakashi bumble about behind her. "So, you feeling a little less frustrated now?" Kakashi lay behind her as he spoke, his arms circling around her body, providing the warmth and safety that she hoped to keep with her at all times.

"A little, though I think a couple more times will be needed before I really start to feel the effects." She giggled as Kakashi hugged her tightly then, his lips grazing her back and shoulder as he sighed happily.

"Sounds good to me. We should maybe do it a good ten times, just to be sure." Ritsuka laughed out loud then, her elbow nudging at his ribs playfully.

"I'm sure that's exactly what the doctor would order." Kakashi leant up on his elbow as he looked down at Ritsuka, their eyes meeting again.

"I could have a word with Sakura..." Kakashi's playful glint could only mean deep embarrassment for herself and poor Sakura.

"That's okay. I'll believe you." She turned so that she was on her back again, Kakashi adjusting himself so that they continued to fit together so perfectly. "So is that ten this week? Or month?" She giggled as Kakashi pretended to think.

"Tonight" Ritsuka opened her eyes widely, pretending to be surprised by this news.

"Wow. You think you can handle me? Or do we have to bring in some help." Kakashi scowled at her joke, jealousy clearly evident.

"No. I will suffice." Ritsuka playfully pouted a little before pulling Kakashi down so that their lips almost touched.

"Awesome!" Ritsuka kissed him hard as she lifted her head a little to reach him, but Kakashi quickly took control and was pressing down on her, the legs and arms interweaving like a brilliant tapestry. After a few moments of heated kissing, Kakashi pulled back from Ritsuka, his eyebrows knitted in concentration and worry.

"When we reach these hideouts," Ritsuka almost sighed as she had been enjoying her time of forgetfulness. "I want you to promise me that you will do exactly as I instruct." He waited for Ritsuka to agree, his eyes begging her to understand. Ritsuka nodded her head, but her expression told him that she was going to be defiant the whole way. Kakashi put his forehead against her cheek, his eyes shutting tight in frustration. "I can't lose you. Not again." Ritsuka felt her heart ache as Kakashi spoke, his barely whispered words holding so much pain that Ritsuka hadn't been sure he of all people could possibly have said it. "Please. When I tell you to go, you have to go. If Kentaro gets you, then... I can't stop you." Ritsuka sat up then, her hands catching Kakashi's face as she stared hard at him.

"You must do what you have to do, and if that means kill me so you can rid the world of that scumbag, then you have to!" Kakashi frowned as he turned away from her, the look of utter depression on his face making Ritsuka falter a little in her sureness.

"Could you?" Ritsuka opened her mouth and closed it again. "Could you kill me?" Ritsuka stared a little longer, the scenario playing out in her head.

No.

Of course she couldn't.

"I didn't think so." Kakashi brushed his hand through his hair, his smile sad as he spoke. "We are supposed to be Konoha shinobi, and look at us. Ready to betray the world for each other." Ritsuka rolled her eyes.

"You're such a drama queen." Kakashi scowled at her, but it held no seriousness. "We are not betraying the world, just... indisposing it for a little while..." Kakashi laughed softly, his eyes a blaze again.

"Just, promise me you will do as I ask, and not fight against me, not make this situation any harder than it needs to be. I can see his techniques and you can't. And he knows how to use you against me. As strong as I seem on the outside, he knows I would do anything for you. So don't make me." Ritsuka nodded again, her eyes tearing up. She was going to have to ask if Sakura could weld her tear ducts shut. "Promise me. Say it." Ritsuka sighed as she flopped back down on the floor, Kakashi almost laughing at her childish ways.

"I promise." Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"You promise what?" Ritsuka scowled at him. "I know you. You have so many loopholes going on in that head of yours right now, like, 'I didn't say I promised to do as you said, just said I promise'." Ritsuka smiled wickedly.

"You know me too well dear." Kakashi scowled at the use of the word 'dear'. He hated pet names. "I promise to do as you say and stay out of trouble to the best of my ability." Kakashi scowled at the 'to best of my ability' bit, a whole new set of loopholes coming to the surface, but it was probably the best he was going to get. After all, she couldn't promise that nothing would go wrong.

"Alright. That'll do." Ritsuka smiled triumphantly as she turned on her side again, and almost yelped as Kakashi picked her up and dumped her on their bedding. "You stay here and don't you bother putting any clothes on or I will be most upset." Ritsuka looked at Kakashi inquisitively as he began to dress himself. "I'm just going to get us some food. Don't move." Ritsuka smirked as she watched Kakashi leave, diving under the covers as she began to worry about someone coming in to check on her. Not that they would, but still... Better safe than sorry!

Tonight was going to be amazing! After all, she still had nine more sexy times to go!

**Woo! So a wee bit oh dirty stuff to bring some good old loving into the story XD It has been a long while since we have had any sexytime in this story, and hopefully it won't be the last XD**

**So hope everyone still liking it, just wanted to show some of Ritsuka's brokeness as well in this chapter, i don't want her seeming to be somekind of super hero, cause she is human and has been fecked up quite badly over the years, poor lass... And i warn you there will probably be some more emotional flips to come.**

**So let me know what you guys think and thanks again for reading! XD**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Ritsuka looked down on the hell hole she had called home for around five years of her life. She smelled the stifling air of captivity, felt the suppressing atmosphere of the place she had hoped to never see again. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she felt her body tense, not allowing her to move another step. Every part of her being was begging her to turn and run, and to never stop until she could run no more. The wind whipped at her hair as she felt a sense of inescapability hit her, her hands balling painfully into fists.

But she had a job to do, something a lot bigger than her. She couldn't be selfish at a time like this.

Kakashi noticed the sudden panic in her eyes, though she kept herself calm and collected as she stared ahead. He could only imagine the inner turmoil she must have been going through as he took her hand in his and squeezed, an indication that he was going to be there for her throughout this whole thing. He would protect her from anything and everything if he had to.

"Just remember. You are not going back in there. Just get to where we need to be and we move out immediately. I won't let anything happen to you." Ritsuka nodded, trusting her lover. The intensity of his gaze on her made her feel that bit more safe, his calm and truthful voice luring her into calmness. She took a deep breath as she began leading the way down the hill into the small valley, Kakashi continuing to hold her hand as he followed her closely.

"The front door is just round that side. Once we get there, I can find our way to the first location." Kakashi nodded as they reached the bottom of the slope, the ground dramatically changing in texture. It was almost desert-like, which didn't really fit the scenery of a thriving forest. Ritsuka noticed his confusion, and shrugged as she tried to explain. "Kentaro used up a lot of the resources here, changing the environment around us completely. Sad really. I used to try and get things to grow here, but it was all a bit pointless. But you know me!" Kakashi imagined Ritsuka fighting against the dryness of the ground, her stubborn nature probably having her pursuing this dream for a long time, and going to extraordinary lengths for it to be a success. He could hear the deep disappointment in the girl's voice.

"I'm sure you did your best." Ritsuka sighed as she stared up at the sky, a longing look in her eyes.

"I'm beginning to wonder if my best is any use at all." Kakashi let the jibe at herself go, knowing that if he said anything now, her nerves and stress levels would have them in heated discussion again. He needed to be there for her as something to fall back on just now, not someone to force her to see herself in a different light.

He would sort that bit out later.

Ritsuka came to a stop at an old wooden door, her hand pointing to it as she spoke.

"In there is where his main hideout was. There will be Aranii in the making as well as orphans who will be imprisoned in the basement, if nothing has changed since I left. We should probably..." Ritsuka touched the door and her body shook. She swallowed down some sick that had managed to make its way into her mouth, the acidic sting making her voice rough. "... go and..." Kakashi placed his hand on top of hers and pulled her away from the door, her body still shaking from the stress of being back here.

This was far too much for her.

It seemed so simple. Just open the door and rescue the orphans. She could at least do that for them, she owed them that much, right?

But it just didn't compute, her body not cooperating with her wishes. She had spent so long trying to escape from this place, had managed to stay away for over a year, and now she was right back to square one. Her knees shook as she prepared to run, Kentaro's attempt at a seductive voice ringing in her ears. She felt herself being drawn to the doors, drawn inside where she would be stuck forever. She felt Kentaro's cold, dead hands touch her, his eyes reading her like a book as she struggled against him in her mind, but did as he commanded in body.

"Gai, Lee and Shikamaru. You stay here and do what you can for the orphans. Any Aranii you find, well, you know what to do." Gai and Lee nodded their heads enthusiastically as Shikamaru groaned quietly. Why had he been stuck with these two morons...

"Be careful of Kentaro's servants." Ritsuka had managed to pull herself together, though she was leaning somewhat on Kakashi as he subtly propped her up. "They may not be shinobi but they are clever and sneaky. Some still believe that Kentaro is a god, and will do anything to protect him and his knowledge. Which reminds me, Tsunade might be interested in some of his works? In his office on the top floor, there is a small safe where he keeps all his notes. There are also a line of Dictaphone tapes that I think will be of much use to her." Shikamaru nodded, knowing the importance of this kind of knowledge. Kentaro had made some major breakthroughs in the biological world, and some could prove to be essential in the curing of some terminal diseases.

Even medic nins came across symptoms and illnesses that they couldn't cure.

The three appointed ninja left without a word as Kakashi turned Ritsuka so that she was now facing away from the door. The less she saw the better.

And then there were five. Kakashi, Ritsuka, Hinata, Neji and Yamato. Three eye technique users, Ritsuka the guide, and Yamato her body guard.

"So where do we go now?" Ritsuka looked at Kakashi as the small squad all turned to her expectantly.

"What one do you want to go to first? The six hour one, or one of the four hour ones?" Kakashi tapped his chin as he made a decision.

"The six hour one. So which way is that?" Ritsuka walked back to the door and put out her hand.

"Can I borrow someone's Hitai-ate?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he nodded to Yamato, who had already begun to untie his. He dropped it into Ritsuka's outstretched hand, clearly confused. "Thank you!" she chimed, her brilliant smile dazzling him slightly. Another reason to be jealous of his great friend...

The group watched in concern as Ritsuka blindfolded herself, a blush forming on her cheeks as she realised how silly she must have seemed. They probably thought she was crazy, if they didn't already, but it had to be done.

"Kentaro was always worried that I would escape one day, and how right he was. He ensured that I could never remember the way back and forth to his hideouts." Ritsuka felt that she should probably explain herself before Kakashi sent her back on sick leave. "But we travelled to them so much, Kentaro never wanting to be alone, that I counted the steps, and remembered trips and falls as landmarks to our destinations. A little weird but I had to pass the time somehow, so don't judge me." She pointed towards the group, hoping that they hadn't moved. "Walking for hours in the dark is not fun..." Kakashi smiled at his wonderful girlfriend, pride oozing from him. His mask hid most of it, but the others could tell he was impressed.

They all were.

Ritsuka began to walk, her steps sure and quick. Kakashi followed her closely, his sharingan whirring into life as he watched the trees above and around them. Hinata and Neji flanked the sides, their byakugan also searching everywhere. Yamato took the rear, but had a couple of his wooden clones travelling around them, searching for any sign of the psychotic killer.

With Kentaro, you could never be too careful.

...

A couple of hours passed, and Ritsuka had only fallen twice, which was pretty impressive considering she was blind. Kakashi had of course been quick to catch her before any damage was done, though he and the group had laughed. Ritsuka would blush and fluster as she kept on walking, her hands feeling for the trees that she knew would be there. She had of course miscalculated her steps at some point, and it was quite unfortunate that it had been when the group was heading towards another valley, and due to her sureness so far, no one had thought to warn her. Ritsuka yelped as she promptly disappeared out of sight and rolled rather painfully down the steep descent. Kakashi had stopped her midway, but had not been quick enough to stop the cuts and bruises she was now suffering from.

"Shit..." She had mumbled when he held her close to him, his apologies never seeming to end, and his hands everywhere.

"I just... you looked like you were stopping, so I figured you knew, and I don't like to pester you with what's coming up in case it ruins your concentration. I am so sorry!" Ritsuka waved him off as she returned to the top of the hill, telling Kakashi that it was fine for what felt like the hundredth time. The rest of the team choked back laughter as she limped back to the top of the valley's edge, her playful glare silencing them. Hinata glanced at the group, guilt clearly evident.

Ritsuka returned her headband/blindfold, and the group were back on track, Ritsuka guiding them along the valley edge, Kakashi holding her arm to prevent another fall.

Six hours had passed before Ritsuka stopped dead in her tracks, her muttered numbers coming to a stop. She removed the headband, and frowned slightly. Nature had changed the area slightly, but she could see the desert-like ground beneath her feet, indicating that they were close. Just another miscalculation on the old number of steps again, but to be fair, she had done pretty well. It had been over a year since she had taken this route, and blindfolded none the less.

"Here we are!" Kakashi looked around, his sharingan whirling as he scanned the area. No chakra signatures at all, but that didn't mean they were alone.

"So where is the hideout?" Yamato scratched his head as he looked around, his lack of eye technique making him feel somewhat useless on this particular mission. Ritsuka turned and smiled at him as she pointed to the sandy and cracked ground.

"This is the underground lair. I'm not really sure how he opened the door, but he did something, and it was with chakra." Kakashi took a step towards the sand, his eye searching. He then reached his hand into the sand, and brushed some of it away, revealing a small square piece of stone embedded in the ground. It had strange markings on it, though he recognised a couple.

"Stand back in case this all goes wrong." Ritsuka hesitated, but felt Yamato's hand pull her back. She complied, though she wasn't happy about it. She watched as Kakashi sparked some chakra into his index finger and pressed it against the seal. The ground rumbled deeply as their surroundings shook slightly, Kakashi stepping back from the small stone. The ground dipped down suddenly and began to fall in sections, lower and lower into the darkness below, leaving thin, steep stairs behind. Kakashi smiled at the group, his triumph quite evident.

"Yamato. I want you to stay out here with Ritsuka, start heading back the way we came. If this is the one with the current alive body of Kentaro, I don't want either of you getting in my way of his death. No offence, but if he gets either one of you, we're in trouble." Yamato nodded and Ritsuka let out a breath that she hadn't realised she was keeping in. "Neji, Hinata, once we enter here, you do not take your eyes off of everywhere. It is imperative that you stay alert at all times, and avoid the chakra chords. Are we clear on what our orders are?" He looked directly at Ritsuka, knowing that she would no doubt be ready to argue with him. He was quite surprised when she nodded, and dragged Yamato away with her, back the way they had come.

"Don't die!" She called back, her tears evident in her broken and uneven voice. Kakashi smiled softly as he watched the two disappear into the foliage, quite relieved that it had gone so well. And she hadn't said goodbye, her way of saying she was expecting see him again.

And he wasn't about to let her down.

...

"Yamato, I'm going to ask you something, and I hope you are going to tell me the truth." Yamato looked suspiciously at her as they made their way along the track, Yamato leading the way as he remembered the route they had taken. It was weird for Ritsuka to see it rather than feel it. She was rather surprised that she could notice all of the little things that she had used to get through to the hideout. "I realise that Kakashi must think very highly of you if he has left me in your care, and your care alone, and that you must be very close to him." Yamato fought the urge to punch the air, his excitement at hearing that Kakashi thought of him 'highly' almost too much. "But I need to know. What happened when Kakashi came in contact with Kentaro the other day?" Yamato furrowed his brow as he chose his words carefully.

"He killed him." Short and sweet would do. Ritsuka rolled her eyes as she groaned. "Look if Kakashi hasn't told you anything, what makes you think I will?" Ritsuka frowned as she folded her arms.

"I thought you were a nice guy..." Yamato glanced at the girls pouting face, feeling surprisingly affected by it. He _was_ a nice guy!

"You're not going to get me with this childish talk. Now be a good girl and keep walking." Yamato smiled at his joke, and laughed as Ritsuka huffed and pushed past him animatedly.

"You suck!" She turned round and plonked herself on the ground, her arms still folded and her head turned to the side, her nose in the air. Yamato rolled his eyes as he tapped her leg with his foot, amazed at how the girl still had time to joke around.

"Come on. Kakashi was serious about us moving on. I don't want to get chewed out because you won't do as he instructed." Ritsuka sighed sadly as she got to her feet, her eyes holding so much worry as she turned and continued to walk. Yamato fought with himself as he watched the girl in front, her slightly slumped posture not helping. She deserved to know what Kakashi had done, and how he had almost died, but he knew Kakashi would not be happy with him if he found out he had told her.

What a predicament.

"Look. I feel that Kakashi should have told you, and I would really appreciate it if you asked him instead of me. I want to tell you, but you have no idea how hard it has been for me to get to where I am on the friend scale. If I break his trust now... I can't seduce him back into liking me with sex like you can." Ritsuka raised her eyebrow as she turned back to look at the man behind her, mischief shining in her eyes.

"Are you saying that's the only reason Kakashi still likes me?" Yamato's eyes grew wide as he waved his hands back and forth frantically.

"No! No! No! No! Not at all! I was merely saying that I don't have anything to offer him, where as he loves you, so there is probably not much you could do to change that! And i was trying to put a lighter tone on the subject..." Ritsuka smirked as she heard Yamato say love, her stomach fluttering with butterflies again. She thought to the night before, how Kakashi had been so... perfect with her. So gentle. And so loving. There second and third time had been so wonderful that she hoped she would never ever forget it.

"I'm just kidding. You sure are quite tightly strung are you not?" Yamato's jaw dropped as Ritsuka continued to walk off, her giggles making him blush.

"You are... a trouble maker!" Ritsuka laughed out loud, the sound echoing through the thick forest.

"You love it!" her cheeky smile reminded him slightly of Naruto, the way that even in the darkest of times, they still managed to find something to smile about, even if they had to create the fun themselves.

"So, how did you and Kakashi meet?" Ritsuka slowed down to let Yamato catch up, a soft smile gracing her face as she thought back to the past. This had been something that Yamato had been desperate to know for years now and was so glad he could actually ask her.

"Jiraiya was my mentor back in the day, and the fourth Hokage was Kakashi's. So naturally the two of them set us up to meet when I was around six or seven. Kakashi was such a grumpy and serious kid back then, and it was almost impossible to be his friend. But lucky for him I'm a glutton for punishment, and I held onto him as much as I could. I fell for him pretty much the moment we met, but it wasn't until I was fifteen that we finally got together." Yamato nodded as he thought back to the stories he had heard of Kakashi; his early graduation from the academy, and his notorious hard to get on with personality. He was kind of grateful that Ritsuka had managed to see though all that, had seen the real Kakashi, had kept him company through such hard times. He could only imagine how difficult it must have been for the pair.

"So you have been together ever since, well, until six years ago." Ritsuka nodded, her smile still on her face. "And that boy, Kyoya? It's yours and Kakashi's son, yeah?" Ritsuka just smiled, not wanting to lie, but also not wanting to confirm if Kakashi hadn't told anyone. "I'm sure he must be. You were pregnant before you left. I remember meeting you a few times before you vanished. And I'm sure I heard him calling Kakashi dad a few days back." Ritsuka just continued to smile, her eyes set on the path ahead. "Wow. Kakashi a dad. I would have never thought it. I bet he must be really good with kids. He handles Naruto so well." Yamato went on about how awesome Kakashi was, telling Ritsuka some of the stories of what team seven had been up since he had joined. Ritsuka revelled in the knowledge, her eyes sparkling as she kept looking over at Yamato.

Then Yamato suddenly stopped talking in mid sentence.

Ritsuka walked on a bit as she waited for the man to continue his story, but came to a sudden halt as she realised Yamato had also stopped walking.

"Yamato?" The man just stared ahead, his face as stoic as ever. Ritsuka began to walk back towards him, slowly. "Yamato?" Ritsuka began to panic as she read the signs. She took a good few steps back as she raised her hands defensively, her eyes scanning the trees around her.

She shouldn't have come back here, and she shouldn't have distracted Yamato like that. Kakashi was going to be so mad!

"It's okay Ritsuka. I won't hurt you." Ritsuka shook her head as she felt all hope leave her, Yamato walking towards her calmly with his arm outstretched. Like the hand of death. "We were having such a good conversation. Kakashi. Yes. What a hero!" Ritsuka cringed as Yamato laughed manically, clearly speaking on behalf of Kentaro. "Did you know, that Kakashi didn't look for you once while you were away?" Ritsuka rolled her eyes as she felt rage push her fear aside, Kentaro's bad talk of Kakashi pissing her off greatly.

"What the fuck do you know?" Ritsuka talked into the trees, keeping her eyes on Yamato so that he didn't leave her peripheral. She could fight, but she was still learning techniques she used to be able to do, and she still wasn't all that great at the stuff she had relearned. She was doomed...

"I know more than you. And I waited for your precious asshole to turn up and 'save the day', but he never did, did he? He was meant to be a genius, a prodigy, and he couldn't even find you? I'd like to think that it was my supreme knowledge and abilities that kept him away, but really, we both know, he just didn't try." Ritsuka closed her eyes and shook her head as tears poured down her cheeks.

He was lying. He had to be! Kentaro was just toying with her as usual.

Ritsuka began to walk away from Yamato, who had now started to advance on her again. His head was dropped down so that she couldn't see his face, but she could see the hand seals he was making. She pushed herself off the ground, and up into the trees, her hands wrapping securely on a thin branch just above her. The ground beneath her had opened, and large wooden beams were reaching out to wrap around each other. Ritsuka pulled herself up onto the branch, almost screaming when Yamato's hand reached out from the tree trunk and missed her face by millimetres. She jumped back in a summersault, and caught a branch from the tree behind her. Yamato smirked as he stayed put, Ritsuka hands being trapped by his wooden ones. How had he...? Ritsuka looked up to see his face pushing out from the bark, his smirk in place.

"Why don't you hang around?" Kentaro was always terrible for giving rubbish puns. Yamato laughed. "We have so much to discuss. I once sent a letter to Kakashi, saying that it was me who had stolen you from him, even with a return address since I had grown bored waiting for him to turn up. He never showed." Ritsuka blinked back tears as she ignored his lies. For years she had been poisoned by them, but Kakashi had told her he had looked. He didn't even know it was Kentaro who was behind it.

He had that photo.

No, Kentaro was lying. It wasn't in Kakashi's nature to leave her. It wasn't guilt that made him love her so much these past few days. He loved her, she knew it, and she loved him. And Kentaro wasn't going to ruin that, not again.

"Fuck you, asshole. Just fuck you." Ritsuka wriggled her wrists in Yamato's grip, her weight giving her added friction, breaking his hold and dropping her to the ground. She got to her feet quickly and ran, her muscles groaning as she pushed her body to its limits immediately. She could feel lactic acid building up, but she ignored it as she pushed on through the forest, realising her extreme disadvantage against Yamato, a wood element master.

"Always running Ritsuka!" Yamato was flanking her in five bodies, easily having caught up with her. She felt her fear build again, and an extreme frustration at her slow return to her formal glory. It was like everything about her was damp and foggy, like everything she could once do was nothing but a far off dream. "Why can't you see it?" Yamato through a stone at her in frustration. She could always distract Kentaro off his game. "I love you!" Ritsuka clamped her eyes shut as she ignored Yamato's strangled cry of Kentaro's affection.

Why did her love her? She had been nothing but ignorant to his feelings, had hurt him probably more than she knew, and...

Kind of how she had felt about Kakashi all those years ago, when he had done the same to her.

But it wasn't the same. It couldn't be.

Kakashi loved her back, but she did not love Kentaro. Difference.

"Fuck you!" She screamed, feeling one of Yamato's many hands try and grab her wrist. She pushed herself to go faster as she felt her legs numb, annoyed at herself further. There used to be days where she could run forever, now she could barely make an escape.

"Ritsuka. I have shown you more love and affection than that silver haired robot has ever done, yet you still throw it all in my face with your delusions. Six years Ritsuka! That's an awful long time to not find someone." The truth stung her, but it was just a way to get her to give in to Kentaro. "He doesn't love you! You are just the strategic step forward. Kyoya too." Ritsuka felt an old baseless fear hit her. Had Kakashi decided to be with her so that he wasn't alone, and to get people to leave him alone? But Kyoya had been an accident, but nothing either of them regretted, or secretly planned. She cursed as she caught herself doubting Kakashi, annoyed that Kentaro could play her like he did. He had spent so long in her head that he knew exactly how to do it. Knew exactly what her fears were.

"I said fuck you!" She kicked at one of the clones getting dangerously close to her, but was very surprised to find her leg slipping through the clone, and wood replacing it. Ritsuka crashed to the ground and slid, her skin ripping as many stones and roots caught her. She gasped for breath as she began to feel winded, four shadows blocking out the sun above. She tried to kick off the chunk of wood that her leg was stuck in, cursing and slapping away any of Yamato's attempts to touch her. She felt like a rabid wolf clawing at its life as it was backed into a corner...

"Just give up. I know you love me, deep down inside. I'll just have to show you it again." Ritsuka shook her head at Kentaro's delusions, her tears burning her. This couldn't be happening, not again.

"It's not real! Kentaro, you just make me think I do! I'm sorry that it has to be this way but God! You killed our team leader and friend, to punish me! To show me how you felt. A fucking flower would have sufficed! And then you took me away from everything, my life, my friends, and the man I love, all for your own selfish needs! You lied about Kyoya, MY CHILD! So forgive me for not seeing the fucking attraction, and constantly escaping this torturous hell hole you keep making me stay in!" Yamato slapped her hard across the face, the burning sting left behind bringing her back from her momentary daze. "Fuck you!" She spat, all the venom she could fathom spouting from her.

All four Yamatos' reached out and grabbed a limb each, Ritsuka struggling against her trapped leg and the eight hands pulling and reaching for her.

She had no chance.

Yamato was well trained, had been in Anbu for god's sake... But that didn't mean she was about to give up. She kicked and screamed as she fought against them, the four of them dropping her unceremoniously on the ground a couple of times, but soon they had managed to manoeuvre her into a clearing next to the cliff face of a nearby mountain. Surely Kakashi would find them? It wasn't a hard location to find, not far off the path they had been on, she hoped...

One of the Yamatos let go of her, his hands flying together to make hand seals. The ground beneath her rumbled as shoots of wooden strips shot out like before, wrapping around her and the puffs of smoke that used to be clones. She struggled against the bars that were now forming, her cut and broken body proving to be useless. At least the log had been removed from her leg, many cuts and reddening bruises left behind. She sighed in defeat as Kentaro walked out from behind a tree off to the right, his eyes gleaming in the rising sun.

"You're still as beautiful as ever." Ritsuka flinched at the compliment, wanting nothing more than to punch him in the face. "I hate to see you in pain, but it would seem that you like it. Otherwise, you would shut up and do as you're told." Ritsuka kicked at her bars in defiance.

"I wouldn't have to if you didn't keep kidnapping me." Kentaro raised his eyebrows, his face showing his deep hurt. Ritsuka didn't want to see it, didn't want to feel sorry for the pathetic man in front of her.

Stockholm syndrome was really a big pain in the ass, and one that she had been battling with for a while now...

"You wound me. Deep, Ritsuka. All I have done is provide. Do what's best for you. It's not my fault you can't see that." Ritsuka rolled her eyes as she figured out that this version of Kentaro was probably the delusional version. The passionate one who believed all of his own lies. How exciting! She scowled at her inner sarcasm. "Now, let's put the past behind us and move forward, eh? How does that sound?" Ritsuka kicked the bars again, her leg aching slightly from the force. "I'm glad you agree. I was thinking, since not having Kyoya has clearly upset you, we could have a child together? Wouldn't that be nice?" Ritsuka almost vomited, but just stared at him incredulously. He was serious!

"What the fuck? You think that's what is stopping me from loving you back? Is there any point in me talking to you, or telling you how I think and feel? You've been in my fucking head and you still don't get it!" Kentaro held his hand to his heart, his eyes filling with tears and he looked at her in disbelief. He genuinely believed this shit! God she wished Kakashi would hurry, she was falling for Kentaro's theatrics.

"What have I ever done to deserve this kind of treatment?" He turned to Yamato and held his hands up defensively. "Can you understand it?" Yamato shook his head, his eyes foggy. Yamato was clearly putting up quite a fight against Kentaro's holds and barriers, but nothing would be enough. She only just got the hang of it near the four year mark, enough to make Kentaro concentrate more than usual, but never to escape it. "Well whatever Kakashi has done to you to make you believe all of his lies, I will undo it." Ritsuka pulled back in her small cage, her heart pounding as she grasped onto every thought she could about Kakashi and Kyoya, the two most important people in her life. Her mind raced as she waited for it all to end... all over again.

_Oh Kakashi! Where are you? _

**Herro! Glad to see you're back again, and hope you are still enjoying the stroy?**

**So Kenaro's back! His sick nature still plaguing this story. I hope you're not all too mad about his return, and not disappointed about the way he has returned. But all will make sense soon, and Kakashi is gona be in some tight spot!**

**Well thanks again for stoppin by and have fun!**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Kakashi led the way into the hideout, the lack of light only being a slight hindrance. The tunnel into the mouth of the hideout had not been very long, but now the many twists and turns were beginning to get tiresome. Kakashi sensed movement up ahead, though he was sure it wasn't from a shinobi. Maybe it was one of those followers that Ritsuka had warned them of?

"Ka-Kakashi" Hinata's sweet voice was barely audible in the pitch black.

"Hinata?" He heard her swallow nervously in the dead silence.

"We should probably take the right turn up ahead, at the fork that we are now approaching." Kakashi nodded his agreement, though the action was lost in the dark.

The three shinobi crept down the corridor quickly but quietly, dancing shadows from a lit candle up ahead indicating that Hinata had been right. Kakashi put his hand in the air, signalling the group to stop when he was more visible. Neji and Hinata continued to search around them, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Kakashi stepped into the candle light, his kunai at the ready. He scanned the room in front of him, the many machines that were churning away making quite a racket. And there, at the foot of the matrix of tubes, wires and screens, was Kentaro's cold and empty body. He could see that no chakra ran through him, an indication that it was an uninhabited body. He sighed with relief as he signalled for the other two to enter the room, pointing at the sleeping follower of Kentaro, who was sprawled out on his desk, apparently in the middle of work. Hinata bound his hands and Neji held him down, his strangled cries for help falling on deaf ears.

Kakashi felt his body tingle with nervousness as he unclipped the latches that held the glass casing that kept Kentaro alive. He lifted the lid, a loud sucking noise echoing ominously in the room as he broke the seal.

And with his kunai, he ended the miserable basterd's third life.

...

Kakashi sighed as he stretched his limbs when they reached the entrance to the now empty cave, the relief in his shoulders and back just what he needed. What a good moment this was.

"That was quite easy. A little too easy if you ask me." Kakashi had to agree with Neji there. He knew Kentaro better than most people, and that was, indeed, too easy.

"Keep your guard up. We should get to Ritsuka and Yamato as soon as possible. Don't drop the Byakugan yet." Neji and Hinata nodded as they sped off, Kakashi taking the lead. He could feel his insides twist horribly as different scenarios played out in his head, his over thinking mind sending him into a panic.

But he had to keep his cool. So much for the good moment.

As they carried on through the thickening forest Kakashi relived an experience he had hoped would never happen again. He stopped in his tracks, Ritsuka and Yamato's chakra signatures suddenly disappearing as if they had vanished off of the face of the earth.

Kentaro!

How on earth did he do that? That was twice he had experienced this odd occurrence, and now Kakashi had no idea where to look. He rubbed at his eyes as he felt a deep depression hit him.

How could he have failed so badly, again!

"I'll protect you!" He mocked himself as he punched the nearest tree, his fist getting jammed in the wood as it splintered at the force. Neji and Hinata exchanged looks of shock and disbelief as they watched the usually un-phased Kakashi pull himself together. "Be on your best guard. He is near." The two younger shinobi searched the surrounding area, their byakugan proving to be most useful.

"Over there!" Both of them pointed into the distance where Kakashi could see the glimmer of chakra chords resting on some branches.

"Follow me, and watch out for these." He pointed to the chords before he grabbed at them, pulling his way along them as he searched for Kentaro, his heart racing as he tried to analyse the situation calmly.

Fuck!

...

"My sweet, sweet Ritsuka. Why must you always run from me when everything I do is for you?" Ritsuka felt sick build up in her throat again, the all too familiar stinging sensation accompanying it. She scrubbed at her arm as she felt her stress levels increase, her heart pounding so loud that it almost drowned out Kentaro's voice completely. Her body shook as she tried to free herself from Yamato's wooden trap, her legs feeling like jelly as she pushed at the bars of her cell. Yamato stood in the distance, his eyes glazed over, completely and utterly under Kentaro's spell. "It is very rude when you ignore someone when they speak to you." Ritsuka avoided making eye contact as she felt her skin burn on her arm, the fabric of her jumper lifting layer after layer of skin. Kentaro watched at the pathetic mess in front of him, his eyes sad. He knelt down so that he could see his love interest better, his hand reaching in to touch her face. "I am tired of these games. How I wish you would see how I feel, and return the feelings for me. I know you're just afraid. But we can go slow this time. I promise, I won't control you unless it is absolutely necessary." Ritsuka flinched as she saw her life with Kakashi dissolve in front her, now replaced with the empty and forced relationship that she had only just escaped from. She closed her eyes tightly as she could feel her jumper sleeve now sticking to her arm, the tearing sensation making her relax a little.

"Ritsuka." Ritsuka shot her head up to come face to face with Kakashi, his perfect face looking at her through the bars. But this couldn't be right. Kentaro had been there only a second before-

Ritsuka kicked at the cage hard with her foot, surprising Kakashi as he fell back. Ritsuka felt something snap inside of her.

"Don't you dare impersonate Kakashi! Don't you fucking dare, you asshole! You're not even a millionth of what he is, so get the fuck back to normal before I break this cage and choke you to fucking death!" Kakashi scuttled back as a puff of smoke surrounded him, Kentaro emerging, back on his feet and his face a picture of pure hatred.

"Shrink it!" He hollered towards Yamato, and Ritsuka watched with wide eyes as he complied. The cage walls began to move, the creaking sound almost deafening as Ritsuka felt her body contort oddly, Yamato's closed his hand indicating her fate. Ritsuka wasn't sure what broke first, her left wrist or knee, but what she was sure of was that if she didn't stop holding back her screams, she was going to explode. Either that or her exploding would be done by the cage that was currently crushing her. "What do you say?" Kentaro grinned at her sadistically, his hand up at his ear.

"Fuck... YOU!" Ritsuka held back another scream as Kentaro nodded to Yamato, the cage shrinking even more. A couple of more popping noises told Ritsuka that her right shoulder was out, and possibly a couple of fingers and toes.

"Fuck!" Kentaro hollered as he fell back holding his face, blood dripping from his hand. Ritsuka tried to turn her head to see who had thrown the kunai, even though she knew exactly who it had been.

Kakashi appeared behind Yamato, his fingers making quick work of putting the poor man deep into unconsciousness. The wood around Ritsuka wouldn't budge as she struggled against it, but at least it had stopped crushing her.

"Don't worry! We'll get you out." Hinata prised the wooden cage apart with her chakra charged hands, her smile warming Ritsuka nicely. Hinata was awful pretty, her perfect figure and beautiful eyes being most entrancing. Ritsuka just couldn't understand why the girl was so shy!

"Neji, take Yamato and go. Hinata, you take Ritsuka, and don't stop until you find Gai. Do not wait for me, and do not come back if I do not meet up with you by nightfall. Leave and continue the mission as planned." Kentaro laughed manically as he stumbled to his feet, his eyes streaming with tears. He wiped them away as he sighed, and then dusted himself down.

"You are a hopeless, lovesick fool." Kakashi growled at Kentaro as he leapt for him, but Ritsuka's gargled scream had him stopping in his tracks. Hinata had pushed a couple of kunai into Ritsuka, leaving them in place so the blood would clot, and she would live, and of course, suffer. That's when Kakashi saw the chakra chords flowing into her eyes, Hinata's usual shy pose nowhere to be seen. "You think I didn't have a plan. I knew you would come for her. I knew you couldn't leave her behind again. And to think you brought me friends to play with! And Huuga's too!" Kakashi ground his teeth as he felt helplessness fall on him again. And what the fuck did he mean by 'again'?

What a fucking mess.

He looked over at Neji to see him diving towards Hinata, his chakra charged hands cutting the chords quickly, like Kakashi had instructed earlier. He nodded at Kakashi as he caught Hinata in his arms as she fainted, Kakashi nodding his head towards the woods.

"Take her and go." Neji tried to argue back but Kakashi raised his hand. "Go now. Before you get us all killed. You two are too strong and valuable." Kakashi watched as Neji narrowly avoided the pair being caught by the chords which had now reached up through the ground. "Now!" Neji shot off into the woods, his eyes searching as he went to find Gai.

Kakashi cursed as he realised Kentaro was playing him. But at least now Kentaro had no more back up, it was just him and Kakashi as long as he could keep Ritsuka out of reach.

He sighed as a voice in his head reminded him that Kakashi had walked right into it, even though he knew the dangers. Ritsuka was probably going to be the death of him one day, but he couldn't help but smile at the frightened girl.

She was _so_ worth it.

Ritsuka coughed hard as she fell to her knees painfully, her eyes staring at Kakashi, begging him to run. But he could never leave her behind, even if he died in vain trying to save her, he would. The rest of his life without her just wasn't bearable. Death was much easier...

He would do anything for her.

"Don't give me those fucking eyes. You wouldn't leave either." Kakashi didn't even look at her as he spoke. Ritsuka stared at the ground, a pained expression on her face. He was right, but god she wished he would be selfish this time.

"Don't talk to her!" Kentaro snapped as he clicked his fingers. This resulted in yet more cries of pain for Ritsuka, as Kentaro inevitably got into her head. He made her pull at her own fingers, snapping them swiftly as she cried out, her eyes streaming with new tears. Kentaro watched sadly as his obsession writhed in pain, but it was the price he had to pay to rid his new world of Kakashi.

Kakashi stood stalk still as he analysed his surroundings. Kentaro had never been one for planning out attacks well, and was easily surprised when he was younger. Kakashi hoped that this was still the case as he leapt into action, his adrenaline pumping fast. He charged his hand with chakra as he shot by Ritsuka, cutting her free from Kentaro's hold. He threw a hand full of senbon at Kentaro, causing him to yelp as he ducked away like the coward he was.

"I hate you!" Kentaro fumed as he threw rocks at Kakashi, his attempts to hurt the shinobi completely useless. Kakashi couldn't believe how easy it had been. He couldn't help but feel that he had fallen into yet another false sense of security as he scanned his surroundings again. Kentaro sent his chakra chords suddenly flying towards Kakashi, his attempts at capturing him pathetic. Kakashi was wise and very skilled, and had progressed much further than Kentaro could ever have imagined. But beneath all this was his hidden motive, which became clear as time went on. It was all just a distraction to get a hold of Ritsuka, relying on his love for her to be his downfall.

So he turned back to Ritsuka, swiftly scooped her up into his arms, and dived off into his next location, high up in the trees. Kentaro cursed as he ran towards Yamato, shaking him and pulsing his chakra to awaken him. Kakashi watched as he repositioned Ritsuka so she was standing in front of him, her eyes wide with fear. She gasped as she removed the kunai in her chest, her chakra filled hands sealing the wounds sloppily. Kakashi sighed sadly as he helped to tidy up her attempts, his slightly more practiced medic techniques proving quite life saving.

"I need you to go on my back and hold on. Remember back to the S-class mission, just outside the rain country?" Ritsuka nodded her head, her body shaking as she clicked a couple of lose bones back into their joints. Kakashi rubbed her face sympathetically, his eyes lingering on her for only a second before returning to watch Kentaro. "Well we need to do that again. If I roll, fall, jump, whatever, you need to keep on my back no matter what." Ritsuka nodded again, her hands reaching up to touch his shoulder. This was going to hurt. "And no heroics." He mumbled as he hoisted her up, her legs hooking around his waist, her feet interlocking. She laughed breathlessly as he ruffled her hair, and kissed his cheek as he asked her if she was ready.

"No, but go for it." Kakashi smiled as he dropped to the ground below, Yamato's chakra surrounding him. Kentaro must have learned how to work Yamato's cloning, but how well could he control someone controlling clones?

Kakashi shifted to the side as he sensed one of Yamato's clones reach out for him, a kunai in hand. He slashed at the clone, sending it into a puff of smoke. It wasn't the usual wooden ones, meaning Kentaro hadn't worked all or Yamato's potential out yet. It did take quite a bit of practise for him to gain complete control, which Kakashi had gathered from Ritsuka's descriptions. Knowing how to do something and actually doing it were two very different things.

But then again, this could be yet another false sense of security. At any rate, he wouldn't be hanging about near anything wooden, just to be safe.

"Left!" Ritsuka managed to choke out a warning, though Kakashi had already felt the movement. A few more puffs of smoke later, Kakashi had come across the real Yamato. Ritsuka's weight on his back was causing a bit of drag to his movements, but not much. He easily took on Yamato, Kentaro seeming to be getting better at working him. Kakashi ducked as chakra chords came towards his head, making sure to keep Ritsuka out of reach. "Above." Ritsuka's weak voice was giving out, but he could make out her whispered warnings still. He smiled back at her in thanks as he avoided a rather large attack, unsure he had even seen Yamato ever use it. Kakashi had no time to ponder on it as he jumped into the tree tops, avoiding a joint attack between Yamato and the rest of his clones.

Kakashi threw his hands together and blew fire onto the ground below, making the clones and Yamato jump back and regroup up next to the cliff face. Kakashi stood at full height as he repositioned Ritsuka further up his back, his whispered assurances making Ritsuka feel a bit on edge. This meant he was going to do something worth worrying about. Ritsuka apologised for her lack of help in almost a whisper, but Kakashi just rubbed the back of her head and pulled her forward for an awkward hug, kissing her forehead tenderly.

"Don't ever apologise." Ritsuka tightened her grip as Kakashi jumped down from the trees canopy again, narrowly avoiding a wooden Yamato from pulling him against the tree. Turns out Kentaro had been hiding it after all.

Kakashi had to act fast, and take Yamato out if he was going to get anywhere near Kentaro. He shot ahead, his footsteps echoing in the thinning trees towards the cliff face. He jumped up onto some branches to gain some ground above the now hand sealing Yamato, his eyes foggy and dead as he shouted his attack. Kakashi quickly dodged it, but had to change course as he held onto the cliff side, his muscles aching slightly in protest at the added weight on his back. He readjusted Ritsuka again before he landed behind Yamato, his chakra charged hands smacking him in the back with enough force to knock the wind from him. Kakashi secured his arm around the man's throat, choking him as he pressed Ritsuka up against the Cliff side uncomfortably, stopping anyone from harming either of them. Yamato struggled fiercely, but soon his legs gave out as he struggled for breath. Ritsuka clutched at Kakashi's flak jacket, her worry quite evident.

"Just putting him to sleep for a while." Kakashi smiled back at the girl, her fingers releasing him slightly. It felt like ages before the clones around them puffed up in smoke, signalling that Yamato was now well and truly unconscious. Again. Kakashi picked Yamato up in his arms, his body aching in protest as he jumped up into the cliff side with two bodies on him. He huffed as he placed Yamato on a ledge, securing him there with clear wire. He set a couple of traps and tags to go off if Kentaro came near his friend, doing his best to protect him from further abuse.

You could never be too careful.

A flash of blue caught his eye and he jumped back off the cliff face to land on a tree nearby.

"Ritsuka?" she nodded her head against his back, clearly very tired. "Look at me." Ritsuka looked up, her eyes free of the chords.

Thank god...

Kakashi sensed Kentaro approaching, and he readied himself for battle. Many attacks that he had no idea even existed came his way, which was quite good in a sense. He learnt them quickly and replied with the same atacks, Kentaro fleeing from the onslaught. Kakashi smirked at the puny man, frustrating Kentaro. He roared in rage, his hands flying together. Kakashi felt dread run through him as he saw a sheet of blue come at him, the chakra chords coming towards them by the thousand.

"Fuck you Kakashi. Fuck you." Kakashi shot off into the woods, his chidori cutting through most of the shining blue strings of potential doom, making them fall to the ground uselessly. He dashed round trees and tangled others up with each other, but there was just no way he was going to avoid every single one.

And it took just one.

"Ritsuka!" Kakashi felt her grip tighten around his neck, her eyes shining blue.

Kentaro had got her, and that was all he ever needed.

Kakashi fought against Ritsuka as she pulled at his throat harshly, her legs crushing his ribs painfully.

"Stop!" he called out to her, but everything he would say to her from here on would be pointless. He reached behind him and hooked his hands around Ritsuka's rib cage, lifting her painfully off of him. She screamed and hollered in pain, her exaggerated reaction making Kakashi flinch as each high pitched note hit him. He quickly cut away the chords in her eyes, her body falling limp after the exertion. Kakashi was getting pretty bored with this game.

"Kakashi! You brute! You hurt her!" Kentaro sneered at him, Ritsuka's eyes fluttering open. "You threw her so viciously! If I hadn't caught her, she would have died!" Ritsuka looked at Kakashi, puzzled, his eyes begging her to see sense. She looked down at his arms, his hands, which were holding her still, and she immediately understood Kentaro's lies.

"Shut up Kentaro. Go fuck yourself with your poison." Kakashi Pushed in front of Ritsuka, protecting her from the basterd's vision, his hands coming together faster than Kentaro could make out. But he too made his own hand seals.

And all hell broke loose. Waves of colours and summoned weapons reached out in all directions, and Ritsuka could only watch as Kakashi seemed to explode, his blood spraying all over her, his ear piercing scream too much for her to handle. Ritsuka stared at the limp body now lying only feet away from her, Kakashi's silver hair almost completely red.

Ritsuka felt something tense up in her before splintering into millions of pieces as Kentaro laughed at the scene before him, his eyes lighting up in surprise.

"Ritsuka! My sweet, I've done it!" Ritsuka heard herself screaming, crying, begging for this to not be true, but it sounded so far away. She felt numb as Kentaro sashayed over to her, swinging a kunai on his fingers like Kakashi used to do.

Used to do... Because now, he was dead.

Ritsuka scrambled away from her approaching doom, her eyes streaming to the point where she couldn't see anymore. She reached for a nearby senbon and stabbed it into her abdomen, once, twice, three times before Kentaro yanked it out of her hand, hushing her as he held her close.

She couldn't live.

She couldn't go back there.

She wouldn't.

She kicked and squirmed until Kentaro had no choice but to let her go, his unimpressed scowl in place.

"Ritsuka, get a hold of yourself. You knew this was going to happen. Kakashi is old, and a fool." Ritsuka spat at him, her fists balling in her eyes as she tried to rid herself of them. She was so utterly useless against this man, and it was going to be the death of her. Ritsuka closed her eyes tight as she felt Kentaro's hands on her. She punched and slapped at him as he tried to hug her, his sloppy kisses wetting her face horribly. And then he captured her lips, his teeth biting at her and making her taste her own blood.

"Get the fuck off of her." Kentaro didn't have time to ready himself for the attack that came his way, his eyes flying open as he rolled off along the ground.

"It can't be! I just fucking killed you!" Kakashi laughed mockingly as he winked at Ritsuka, her brilliant smile something he would never get used to.

"You are a hot headed fool Kentaro, and couldn't even recognise the most simplest of substitution techniques." Kakashi smirked as he tossed a kunai at Kentaro, grazing his other cheek as a way of reinstating his dominance. Kentaro's gargled screams and cries were not quite what Kakashi had expected, but they would do. "And I'm sorry about all the uh..." he waved his finger at Ritsuka, "blood." Ritsuka shrugged, as if it had been nothing. "Had to be believable, you know." She nodded her understanding, her tears still falling.

Kentaro jumped to his feet, holding his now broken ribs as he ran towards Kakashi. Kakashi avoided his attacks expertly, but Kentaro seemed to have lost all value for his own life. After all, he did have a back-up body. Kakashi struggled against the now suicidal attacks, Kentaro's strength and ability having increased over the years, and seemingly much more in the last few seconds.

And then he made a move for Ritsuka again, but this time, Kentaro made it to her before Kakashi could, a kunai at her throat as she struggled helplessly.

"I'm... I... I'm so sorry!" She begged Kakashi to forgive her, Kentaro licking her face seductively, or at least he thought it was. Kakashi dropped his kunai, and sighed in defeat, his eyes worried.

"Resist and she dies." Kakashi felt a pang of horror hit him as Kentaro set his chords on him.

And he allowed it.

He let his feelings take over his duty.

Let his heart rule his mind.

Kentaro let go of Ritsuka then, and she dropped to the ground, guilt racking her painfully. Kentaro walked over to the now steady Kakashi, a kunai lifted, ready to strike.

"Kentaro. I will love you." He stopped in his tracks as Ritsuka awkwardly stood, her finger hooking on her ripped jumper, pulling it over to show off her shoulder. Kentaro almost came there and then. He watched her as she seductively walked towards him, her hand outstretched for him to take. "If, you spare him." Kentaro growled in annoyance, but she grabbed his hand before he could kill her love and life. Ritsuka then pressed herself against Kentaro, her eyes gleaming with fear.

"What are you doing?" Kakashi was shouting for her to stop, Kentaro obviously feeling that torturing the poor man was definitely a good idea. Kakashi struggled against his own body, but nothing moved. His eyes begged for Ritsuka to look at him, and she could feel his gaze on her. But she had to do this.

Had to save him.

"Tell Kakashi how much you love me." Ritsuka gulped back tears.

"More than anything in this world." Kentaro looked back and smiled like a maniac, his laughter exploding out of him.

"Do you hear that Kakashi. Now show him!" Kakashi's expression was confused, and hurt. Ritsuka sighed as she turned Kentaro to look at her, their lips touching for what felt like forever.

"Don't! Don't go back to him for me. Don't through your life away for mine!" Kakashi protested loudly as Kentaro began to pull Ritsuka into him, her disgust clearly evident.

Kakashi's eyes widened as he heard the sound of a kunai going into flesh, and he screamed his threats as he saw Ritsuka's eyes close tightly in pain. None of this made any sense. Why would Kentaro kill her?

That was when he began to feel his body return to him, and watched as Kentaro dropped to his knees, his eyes streaming with tears. Ritsuka stared at the sky as she let the light rain that had began to fall on them wash her tears away.

"Why?" Kentaro pulled at her jumper, his hands desperately clawing at her. His voice was soft, but held a raw pain that would haunt her forever. "I love you." His hand began to slip down her jumper, his energy leaving him. "Look at me..." Kentaro begged, his other hand now clutching at the fabric. "Please." Ritsuka shivered as more tears rolled down her face, but she refused to look down at the man's torn face.

Why did this hurt so much? Why did she care? Why couldn't she push him off of her and rub mud in his eyes, acid in his wounds?

Why the fuck did she feel sorry for him?

"Why?" Kentaro continued to mumble his obvious confusion as Ritsuka held her kunai in his chest, blood pouring onto her hand. She didn't move as she felt Kentaro fall against her, his dead weight indicating that he had moved on to his other body. Kakashi touched her hand gently, her fingers springing open as she pulled back suddenly, as if she had been electrocuted. Her sobs shook her body as Kakashi pulled her out of the way, Kentaro's body falling to the ground, the tip of the kunai pushing out of his back.

"You did good." Ritsuka shook her head, her panic breaking out as she collapsed, Kakashi catching her as she fell.

"No." She continued to shake her head as Kakashi tried to calm her.

"You did. He was going to take you away again." Ritsuka pushed him away at first, but he held her close, allowing her to now wrap herself in his clothing, her screams of emotional agony scaring him.

"I killed him. He's sick. I should have tried to help him! He was clearly not right when we were younger, and I didn't help him. I ignored his feelings, hurt him more than- " Kakashi put his hand on her cheek as he made her look at him.

"Kentaro had a choice. Sick or not, he killed your friends and team, stole you from your home and family." Kakashi rubbed his hand through her hair, Ritsuka's eyes focussing as she got to grips with herself.

"And tried to kill you." Kakashi nodded, the feeling of complete lack of self control haunting him a little.

"Yes. He did. And you saved me. You did nothing wrong here. Nothing I wouldn't have done. Nothing _anyone_ wouldn't have done." Ritsuka nodded, but she still didn't believe it.

"You know, I actually feel sorry for him. Even after all of that, I still can't hate him. When I thought he had killed you, I would have happily done it, but now I know it was all an act that you put on to make him think he had won. So suddenly I don't hate him anymore, just pity him." She sighed as she rubbed at her eyes, wincing in pain as her wrist crunched nastily. "Does that make me a bad person? Or stupid? Should I hate him?" Kakashi kissed her then, pouring every ounce of passion that he could into the moment.

"No. It makes you special." Ritsuka rolled her eyes.

"Special can mean with mental health issues, which I clearly have." Kakashi scoffed at her joke, and kissed her again.

"Special in that you are too nice and easily forgiving. Rare and unique are also good words for you." Ritsuka laughed softly as she pushed Kakashi a little, her eyes falling on Kentaro's bleeding corpse again. Her mood fell dramatically, her smile disappearing. Kakashi stood in her vision, blocking the mess behind him. "Don't you dare beat yourself up. He's still alive, remember. I'll handle the last one." Ritsuka nodded, having completely forgotten about Kentaro not actually being dead yet. It lifted her spirits a little, but the raw betrayal and pain that were in Kentaro's crying eyes still shone brightly in her mind.

"Does that mean the hideout had another in it?" Kakashi nodded, happy that they were moving on.

"Yes, so now there is only one left." Ritsuka sighed as she relaxed against Kakashi's chest, her fingers playing in his hair. She winced as she changed her position, unsure when she had hurt her legs so badly through all of this.

"I was so sure Kentaro still had time to recover... Maybe he has sped the process up since I left." Kakashi nodded in agreement, his eyes apologetic.

"That's why I think we should move out now." The rain fell harder, making Ritsuka shiver as her hair became heavy with water, the cold wind snapping at them to worsen the situation. Ritsuka stared at the ground for a long while, contemplating what Kakashi was asking of her. They would have to return to the main hideout, and head out to the next lair, where they could come face to face with Kentaro again.

"I... Yes. We should." Kakashi scratched his head as he looked around them.

"You head back over to Yamato, I think he's waking." Ritsuka looked over where Kakashi was pointing to see Yamato struggling against his bonds. Ritsuka dashed off as she saw Kakashi make his hands seals, her shadow dancing on the cliff side they had been near as Kakashi set light to the fourth of the five Kentaro's.

Just one to go.

**Herro again! So yeah i hope i haven't disappointed anyone with this encounter XD I wanted to keep it as practical as possible, with Kakashi lowering the numbers of the group for his own protection. And i know Hinata has come across as a bit useless, but shes not... bless her lol**

**So i hope everyone is still enjoyin it, and id love to hear your thoughts XD**

**Thanks again for stopping by!**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Ritsuka pushed back her tangled hair as she followed Kakashi and Yamato back along the winding track towards the main hideout. The rain fell hard, soaking her through to the skin. She shivered as a cold wind snapped at them, her clothes pulling at her uncomfortably. Kakashi would look back at her now and then, checking that she was okay, but Ritsuka would just smile and gesture for him to stop worrying.

And she _was_ fine, right?

Ritsuka shook her head as she felt herself begin to disappear, her senses going dull as she felt her depression take control. She didn't even notice the tears that fell down her face, nor that she had walked right past Kakashi and Yamato, who had stopped and asked if she was okay. It wasn't until Kakashi physically made her stop, his warm hand resting on her shoulder, that she broke free from her trance, Kakashi's worried face sobering her quickly.

"Are you in there?" Kakashi knocked on her forehead as if it was a door jokingly, his sympathetic eyes indicating he knew she wasn't as alright as she had been pretending to be. "Let's stop." Ritsuka shook her head, life suddenly making sense to her again.

They were on a mission and she was being pathetic.

Kakashi sighed as he looked at Yamato, apparently telepathically telling him to leave them for a moment. Ritsuka sighed in frustration at herself, her fingers tangling painfully in her hair again. She felt like such a child!

"I know these past few days, or years for that matter, have been quite hard for you, and I completely understand why you are acting the way you are. But like I said yesterday, I can't help you if you won't talk to me." Ritsuka stared at the ground feeling a little guilty. She had promised the silver haired man that she would talk to him if she ever felt like this, but she just couldn't find the strength. She would cry, much worse than she was now, and she didn't want that. Yamato may be out of sight, but he probably wasn't out of ear shot, and they were battling against time, Kentaro could be anywhere, and they needed to find him.

And kill him.

Again.

Ritsuka found herself on her knees, her body apparently not having the strength to hold her upright and suffer a complete meltdown at the same time. Kakashi held her tightly in his arms as she screamed into him, her face buried into his chest, her hands grasping at him desperately. She couldn't make any sense of it.

Why did she care?

Kakashi shushed her as he rubbed her shoulders gently, his heart rate increasing as he began to panic. He really did hate it when she did this and he never knew what to do. Though he couldn't exactly blame her...

"Why does it fucking hurt so god damn much?" Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows as he thought for a moment, not sure how to broach the subject without making anything worse. He could tell her it was normal for Stockholm syndrome, and make her feel like he was just brushing her feelings aside, or he could try and make her feel like it was her emotions playing up, but no one really liked hearing that. He could also try and make her feel like it was the most normal thing for anyone to feel when killing, but they had grown up as shinobi, and killing was what they did.

"Ritsuka. You were with him for five years. You were bound to grow attached to him, whether he forced you to or not. So of course it's going to hurt you." Stockholm syndrome it was then. "But there's no use beating yourself up about it. You did the right thing." Kakashi pulled back so he could look at Ritsuka's eyes, their redness worrying him slightly. Ritsuka watched him as he quickly dropped his mask, his warm lips meeting hers swiftly. He then proceeded to kiss her senseless, leaving her dazed and confused as he returned his mask and called for Yamato to come back.

The three then returned to their journey back. Ritsuka could still feel her depression pushing at her, but something else was brewing. It was a strange alien feeling in the back of her mind, though something that was still almost recognisable at the same time. Like she knew what it was, and had felt it before. She tried to shrug off the deep feeling of darkness as she began to engage in conversation again. She even began to laugh, which was a relief to the two worrying males. It didn't seem all that long before the three were meeting back up with Neji and Hinata, who had made it back to the main hideout where Gai, Lee and Shikamaru were tending to the starving group of orphans. Ritsuka stopped quite far away from the group, not wanting to scare the poor children. After all, it was her fault they were there in the first place. Guilt welled up in her as she paced in the darkness of the woods, Kakashi waiting patiently for her.

"You are going to have to come out at some point." Ritsuka shook her head as she continued to pace, her nervous mannerisms coming to the surface again. She pulled at her fingers, the popping sensation not relieving her in the slightest. She also pulled at her hair, because brushing her fingers through it just didn't work anymore due to how tangled it was getting. "They will understand if you explain it to them, I'm sure of it." Ritsuka rolled her eyes, apparently unimpressed with Kakashi's silly attempts at luring her out of her current hiding place, which were failing. And then she felt the awkward feeling from before spread within her, a deep uneasiness taking over.

"I'll be here when you are ready to go." She hadn't meant to be so cold, but her mouth was running on its own. Kakashi sighed as he approached her, his hands pulling her into him. Normally she would hug back, but this time she couldn't bring herself to do it. Kakashi then lifted her over his shoulder and carried her towards the group, Ritsuka unsure if his betrayal hurt more, or his lack of understanding. "Put me down right now!" She felt a foreign rage hit her, her need to get away from here overwhelming. It was strange how something so simple could feel so big, and how it made you react so differently. Her body began to shake as she felt herself bubbling over again, but not with anger or pain, but fear. Her pathetic punches of frustration slowed Kakashi. He had only just emerged from the trees when he put her down again, his eyes unsure.

"What's gotten in you? Stop running." Ritsuka held her chest where her heart was as she stared at Kakashi, her look of betrayal cutting him deep. "Be strong, like you used to be." Ritsuka sucked in a breath as she felt her eyes burn painfully. She hated how right he was, but she just couldn't see how she could be anything like she was. Her old self was just so far out of reach Ritsuka didn't know if she would be better starting off a new life or not. The feeling in the back of her mind spread further throughout her, and it all came crashing down.

How did Kentaro do this shit?

"Things change Kakashi, and if you can't be happy with what I am now, then what the fuck do we have?" Kakashi stepped back in surprise; Ritsuka's outburst hadn't really been expected, and especially not in the form of an ultimatum. Ritsuka fought with herself as she lost control, her consciousness finding itself trapped in a clear box. Kentaro's voice filled her head as he spoke. "I thought you cared..." Kakashi opened his eyes wide.

"Ritsuka, of course I care! I'm just trying to help. But you keep hiding, running from feelings and things you should be dealing with." Kakashi felt his world fall to pieces when Ritsuka turned her back to him, her hands rubbing at her eyes fiercely.

"Well I'm sorry if I turned out not to be as perfect as I used to be. I'm sorry that now I have some issues that you can't be bothered dealing with." Kakashi tried to stop Ritsuka when she began to walk away from him back into the forest, but she shrugged his hand off of her and spat in his direction. "Fuck you." Now that was nothing like Ritsuka, but her eyes were normal.

No chakra chords.

Nothing.

Just all Ritsuka.

"Ritsuka, I..." Kakashi tried to walk beside her as he recollected his thoughts, but she pushed him away, her eyes fierce and unusual.

"What part of fuck you don't you understand?" Kakashi frowned as he continued to follow Ritsuka, each word she spoke cutting him deeper and deeper.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kakashi grabbed Ritsuka's arm then, his keen skills keeping her in place as she struggled. He was surprised to have kept her there when normally she would have just twisted herself free...

"What's wrong with me?" Kakashi flinched as she screeched at him, her punch almost connecting with his chin. What the fuck? "I'll tell you what the fuck is wrong with me! You never once came looking for me when I was gone! You left me to rot! In six years I never once heard of any attempt to find me! Not one! You've never cared about me! I've only ever been the next logical step. You were scared of being alone, so you took me, the only idiot in the world who would try for you. Then I fell pregnant, another logical step! But you didn't want Kyoya did you? So when I go missing, what do you do? Pretend to get upset and pretend to look for me when all along you were over the fucking moon to be rid of us!" Kakashi dropped his hand, his eyes hurt as he let go of the still struggling girl.

"I searched for years." Ritsuka laughed at him, turning and leaving down a different path than before.

"Liar." Kakashi couldn't help but follow the girl, the hurt and betrayal he felt numbing him to his surroundings. All he could see and think about was Ritsuka. "If you had been, you would have found me! Kentaro is an idiot, you would have found me if you tried!"

Ritsuka was screaming now, her choked out sobs adding to the effect on Kakashi. He felt his legs wobble as guilt plagued him, his body growing heavy. Where had she gotten all this from?

"Any chance I had, I searched. I promise you, I had no idea who had taken you, or how to find you. I'm so sorry. And I do care about you! I always have!" Ritsuka laughed again, this time a little more manically.

"Fuck you and your lies." Kakashi stopped following when Ritsuka threw a stone at him then, her eyes a blaze. "Stay away from me! I hate you!" Ritsuka took off at a run into the darkness of the forest, night now upon them. Kakashi stood, his mind a mess as he tried to work out what had just happened. They had been fine only a few moments ago. Maybe the killing of Kentaro was too much for her, had finally put her over the edge. But why was she taking it out on him?

Because she could?

Because she knew he would never stop loving her no matter what she said? But everything she had said seemed like she actually thought it. Like she actually thought he didn't love her.

He had never told her that he had. It had just been assumed. Was that why she thought he didn't care? None of this made any sense.

Kakashi felt himself fall to bits as he took off after the girl, his fears of her being hurt in the darkness outweighing his need to be alone to think. Even if she was having a violent breakdown, he had to do what he could to protect her.

Even if it was from herself.

...

Ritsuka pushed at the see through barrier that held her in place, her mind around her turning black and ruined as Kentaro began to get rid of her memories. It would take him a while to do it, so she still had time to struggle against his hold.

"Oh pipe down Ritsuka. I told you I would do anything for you, and if that means take you by force again, then so be it. Though I have to admit, crushing Kakashi was much more fun that I thought it would be." Kentaro laughed hard as he wiped at his eyes, tears of joy rolling down his face. "God I'm good." Ritsuka screamed in her cell, her punches and kicks proving to do nothing.

"Why won't you just fuck off?" Kentaro stopped his gloating to look at the mess in his holding cell, his eyes sad as he watched Ritsuka bash her head repeatedly against the watery like walls.

"I gave you everything, and you made the wrong choice. And now I'm going to make sure you can never make _him_ your choice again." Ritsuka almost sighed in frustration.

"How did you do it?" Her weak voice had Kentaro distracted, unused to her giving up so easily. He had always enjoyed the battle she would bring, the way she would fight back made her all the more irresistible, but this pathetic quietness didn't suit her. "How did you catch me? How are you alive and about so quickly? How do you keep finding me?" Kentaro sighed in annoyance as she seemed to get more and more pathetic. He didn't want to feel guilty for doing the right thing, whether she saw it that way or not.

"Oh cheer up." Ritsuka sat down against the walls of her prison, her back to Kentaro. "Once you left, I had to occupy myself somehow! So I worked out a way of bringing both bodies back to life at once. It takes quite a lot of energy, and I guess that's why I was so weak with our little battle just a few hours ago, but now all my energy is in this body, my last body." Ritsuka nodded her head, somewhat impressed with Kentaro's progress. If they had still been friends, she would have been so proud of him. But as it stood... "And as for this little trick? I also had time to develop my ability. Like with the creatures, I have learned how to use my technique without needing the chakra connection. I just embedded a little bit of my consciousness at the back of yours, where I hid long enough to take Kakashi by surprise and remove you from him." Kentaro had his sickly smirk on his face as he looked over to Ritsuka, catching her eye before she turned to face away from him again. "Oh come on! Aren't you even a little bit impressed?" Ritsuka just stared ahead as she felt her helplessness return.

She was doomed.

...

Kakashi pushed on through the forest, his eyes and ears picking up everything around him. His sharingan was whirring into action, though it was a struggle to keep it going. His chakra pathways were shot to hell, and he was in a dire need of some food and sleep. But he couldn't give up now. He could see Ritsuka just ahead, her fatigued body surprising him with how fast she was going. Only a few moments ago was she struggling to walk.

Kakashi couldn't help but feel that none of this made any logical sense. Ritsuka had never been so angry before. In fact, she never got angry, or raging. Frustrated, by god yeah, but never raging.

Kakashi rubbed his eyes tiredly as he sped up his pursuit, his gut telling him there was more to this situation than meets the eye. He couldn't help but blame Kentaro, but Ritsuka's eyes were as white as they had always been. Not a chord in sight, so how could he have done it? Did he have time to alter her mind set before he died?

Or was this all how she really felt. He had failed in finding her, and it was ultimately his fault that she had to suffer all those years. She had their child, and knew nothing about it for years. Experienced deep emotional and physical trauma, intense and unshakable fear. She was a mess because of him...

He should have been there!

Kakashi tried to calm himself as he started to gain on the girl, her frantic glances behind her making him feel like some bad guy, following her like some kind of hunter. But he had to ensure her safety, and try and fix all that he had done wrong by her.

He needed her.

...

"Fucking grey haired freak!" Ritsuka felt a spark of hope in her as she heard Kentaro verbally abuse Kakashi. She had to trust that Kakashi would figure all this out in time to fix it. She hated relying on the man so much, but Kentaro was just so powerful! And fucking annoying! "Why won't he give up?" Ritsuka smirked as she felt the hot fluffiness of love fill her.

"Why won't you?" Kentaro scowled at her, clearly annoyed with being compared to Kakashi.

"This is different. Me and you are meant to be together. Kakashi is just the wrench in our works." Ritsuka rolled her eyes, totally bored now with the crazy man's delusions. "Don't be so rude! Rolling your eyes at me like_ I'm_ the crazy one." Ritsuka decided to just face away from her tormentor, not wanting to see his face ever again.

"Ritsuka!" She felt her heart pound in her chest painfully at the broken sound of Kakashi voice. She hated Kentaro more than ever for doing this to him. "Please." Ritsuka felt her eyes sting once again with the familiar sensation of tears. "Wait." Kentaro laughed manically, which pissed Ritsuka off greatly. She thumped hard on the walls again, distracting Kentaro only for a second.

"You leave him the fuck alone! Do you understand?" Kentaro glared back at the girl, her harmless jibes at him making him boil over in rage.

"Don't think I have forgotten what you did!" Ritsuka frowned, clearly puzzled. "You killed me, you whore!" Ritsuka flinched, but only slightly. After what he had just done, she would do it again.

"Ritsuka. It's not safe out here. Please, just come back with me. Let's sort this all out. Together." Ritsuka pounded harder against the walls of her prison, Kentaro ignoring her as he pretended to wretch. "Please. I don't understand what's happened. None of this is making any sense to me. What's happening to you?" There were only a couple of times in Ritsuka's life when she could truly say she had seen Kakashi show emotion other than the love he felt for her when they were alone with each other. This was one of them, his broken voice and pained eyes something she wished he would never direct at her again. She felt her hatred peak for Kentaro. And he must have felt it to.

"I don't see what you see in him if I'm brutally honest." Ritsuka kicked at her cell again. Hard.

"I don't care if you do or not. It really has nothing to do with you." Kentaro spat on the ground, a dirty habit he seemed to have picked up. "What the fuck! Don't spit on my brain!" Ritsuka sighed at how silly her remark had sounded, but she was serious. Spitting in your mind probably wasn't safe.

"Oh grow up!" Ritsuka scowled at Kentaro, his outburst annoying her greatly.

"Get the fuck out of my head! You asshole!" Kentaro rubbed at his eyes in frustration.

"Shut the fuck up!" Kentaro returned to his work, his abuse that he threw at Kakashi only seeming to cut the strong shinobi deeply. "And now to test how much he really does love you." Ritsuka screamed her protests as she watched herself attack Kakashi, her sloppy movements and unnatural fighting style taking Kakashi by surprise. Kakashi dodged her easily, wrapping her up in his arms as he tried to calm her, but Kentaro was un-swayed as he struck him in the ribs with Ritsuka's elbow, her foot scraping down his shin and stamping onto his toes painfully. Kakashi pulled back, his eyes serious.

"Ritsuka. You don't want to do this." Kentaro made her laugh manically in Kakashi's face.

"And why the fuck not?" Kakashi looked at the ground, his eyes suddenly determined.

"Because I will win." Kentaro faltered for a second, unsure if Kakashi would hurt Ritsuka. But then, he decided apparently that that was alright, taking another swing for Kakashi's head.

"That's fine by me! Will just show her exactly how much she means to you." Ritsuka almost called out to Kakashi then as she saw the horrid realisation on his face, mixed in with a hint of guilt and what looked like self hatred.

Kakashi felt his body tense up and his hair stand on end. He fucking knew it!

"Get out of there right now! I don't fucking care how you're doing it, but when i find you I am going to love every second of ending your life." Ritsuka saw the fear in Kentaro's eyes as he looked back at her, Kakashi's 'I'm about to end your life in the most painful way possible' face in place. Ritsuka had never been on the receiving end of it, and found it strangely sexy to have the man fighting for her so passionately.

God she loved Kakashi.

**So! Kentaro is on his last body! Are we all excited? I am hehe! though i do feel really sorry for Kentaro... i have given him an awful existance... poor lad... And that Ritsuka, will she ever stop being a pansy? i don't mean to make her out to be a pain, but it is a difficlt time for her. And poor pooor Kakashi. i am awful mean to the sexy man!**

**So... yeah! Glad to see you here again and i hope you are all still enjoying it. I hope i heven't let anyone down with my plot ideas and would love to hear what you all think!**

**Thanks again peeps!**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Kentaro made the first move, Ritsuka's sloppy form and unnatural attacks frustrating her immensely as she watched through her own eyes. Kakashi kept up with her of course, but his attempts at trying not to hurt her were making him take more hits than he should have. This angered Ritsuka as she continued to struggle against the seemingly indestructible fortress that was surrounding her. Kentaro would glance at her now and then, requesting that she keep still while he disposed of Kakashi.

"Will you fucking stop that! You're giving me a god damn headache!" Ritsuka would just smirk as she would watch Kakashi take advantage of the moments of broken concentration she caused, her excited laughter filling her own head.

"Funny that. Me giving you a headache when you're in my god damned head!" Ritsuka hated how selfish Kentaro would get at times.

Well, all the time really.

Kakashi tried his best to pin Ritsuka to the ground without hurting her too much, his forearm around her neck in a sleeper hold. Kentaro made her arms and legs flail uselessly as he began to panic, Ritsuka's body not reacting as well as it had done before.

"Get the fuck out of her head before I tear you out." Kentaro giggled manically as he struggled to control Ritsuka's motor functions.

"Such a fucking gentlemen!" He rounded on Ritsuka then, his eyes blazing in desperation. "And even while he's choking you to death, I bet you still go weak at the knees for him!" Ritsuka smirked at the madman in front of her, pressing herself against the wall of her invisible cell.

"Go. Fuck. Yourself." Kentaro screamed in rage as he kicked and screamed at parts of Ritsuka's mind, the pain filling her horribly. She fell to her knees as she clamped her hands on her head, trying to stop the pain somehow. This was all a bit messed up... Kentaro noticed the damage he was causing and proceeded to destroy more of her mind.

"Think about _that_ next time you want to get smart with your mouth!" Kentaro roared as he spun back round to face Kakashi in the outside world.

Kakashi watched Ritsuka's limp body as her eyes darted back and forth. He hadn't meant to knock her out so quickly, but he could never be sure with Kentaro in the picture.

"Kakashi! Stop! It's me!" Ritsuka gasped as she took advantage of Kakashi's surprise and darted up off the ground, her hands outstretched in surrender. "I don't know what came over me!" She put a hand to her forehead as she began to pace around in the darkening wood, her eyes filling with yet more tears. Kakashi watched cautiously as the girl in front of him began to pull at her hair again, more and more strands being ripped from her scalp.

"It's okay." Kakashi rose to his feet, deciding to play along with the potential trap. "I'm here." He outstretched a hand to her, and she took it gingerly. Kakashi spun her so that his arm was around her neck once more, her arm now trapped against her chest.

"Kakashi! What are you- " she struggled against him as he whispered harshly in her ear.

"I'm not a complete fucking idiot Kentaro." Ritsuka immediately went limp in his arms again, her attempts to escape coming to a halt.

"I beg to differ." Ritsuka's harsh voice didn't suit her as Kentaro snapped back at him, Ritsuka's eyes stern. Kakashi held her away from him as he felt her foot reach up behind her, aiming for his manhood. He raised an eyebrow playfully, hoping to insight some blind rage in the psychotic man.

"Ooo. So it's a dirty fight you're looking for." Ritsuka wriggled in annoyance.

"You can't do a fucking thing. Just give up before I rip her apart from the inside out." If Kakashi had learned anything in this seemingly forever persisting saga, it was that Kentaro was capable of just about anything, even hurting Ritsuka beyond repair. And he couldn't risk that. Not after they had gotten so far. Kakashi released his hold slightly, his sharingan following every movement.

Ritsuka stepped calmly away from the silver haired shinobi, her lips set in a cocky smirk, which strangely suited her.

But enough of this.

Kentaro played with Ritsuka's hair, twisting and pulling it as he sashayed towards Kakashi, which was a little weird. Kakashi stood where he was, allowing the prick time to realise his inevitable death. Kakashi wasn't about to let him get the upper hand, nor was he going to back down in any way.

Kentaro pressed Ritsuka against Kakashi, seducing a man not really his strong point.

Well seducing really. He had held Ritsuka against her will for years, but what was the difference really. Kentaro rubbed Ritsuka's hands through Kakashi's hair, and made to travel down his chest when Kakashi grabbed her wrists suddenly and held them in place.

"Look, there's no use in making us both feel sick. Let's just hurry up and get you dead, shall we?" Kentaro yanked Ritsuka's hands free, her eyebrows knitted in annoyance.

"If anyone is going to die, it is you! Hatake Kakashi!" Kentaro made another dash at Kakashi, but he merely stepped to the side and allowed Ritsuka to stumble past him.

"You know Ritsuka is a lot better at this than you are. Maybe you should just give her back her body and come face me yourself. Like a man." Ritsuka laughed darkly as she charged again, Kakashi dodging her easily. "I grow bored of these games if I'm honest with you." Kentaro clearly was not enjoying these jibes. "Sorry. Am I not dying quick enough for you?" Ritsuka roared as she took to another feeble charge. Kakashi rolled his eyes as he caught her easily, tangling her up in her own limbs. He then began to press at certain pressure points in Ritsuka's legs and back, causing her to fall to the ground. "Now that I have you nice and still..." Kakashi pressed himself down against Ritsuka's shaking body, her lower body now useless. He stared hard into Ritsuka's panicked eyes, all his chakra being concentrated on finding Kentaro or anything that could connect this prick from Ritsuka's mind to his actual place of hiding. There had to be something for it to be like the live feed it was. All he would have to do would be to touch it, and then he would know exactly where to go.

It didn't take him long get through Kentaro's terribly feeble defences, his sharingan practically ignoring them as he passed through into Ritsuka's consciousness.

"What the fuck is he doing?" Kentaro was up ahead, his voice echoing as he screamed and shouted, his temper apparently having been lost surprisingly fast. "He's just fucking staring at me!" Ritsuka, who was over to the left in some kind of watery prison, laughed heartily as she kicked at her cell.

"You are so much of an idiot that it's actually painful. I don't know how many times Kakashi has to prove to you that he is the god here and not you. You should have spent more of your time studying the sharingan rather than feeling so fucking sorry for yourself." Kentaro screamed in rage as he spun round to face the girl, his hands clapping shut. Ritsuka's screams went silent as the walls of her cell closed on her. When he released them, she fell to the floor, apparently unconscious.

"Better." Kentaro sighed as he looked back out at Kakashi, and flinched when he saw he was still staring right at him. "What the fuck does she see in you?"

"Dashingly, handsome looks, brilliant sense of humour, personality to die for. Oh, and not to mention a good fuck. Would you like me to go on? But I'm sure you have seen it all for yourself, having been in her mind more often than not over the last few years." Kentaro stood frozen as he realised that Kakashi lips were not moving.

"How on earth..." Kentaro shook with rage, but did not turn round. "I have never met a more infuriating and cocky asshole like yourself in my who god damned life!" Kakashi laughed, happy that he could bring the same amount of distress to the slimy rat's life as he did to him.

"I take it you didn't keep any mirrors around then?" Kakashi smiled smugly again, just waiting for Kentaro to turn and face him. "I told you. I would rather meet and sort this out in person." Kentaro continued to shake, growling under his breath. "Now let's go." Kakashi made his way towards the shaking man and made no move to defend himself as he threw things frantically at him, the memories bouncing off of him or flowing round him like clouds. "Oh come now. This is all a bit childish." Kentaro gave a side glance to Ritsuka, and Kakashi was in his face like a shot. "Don't you even fucking think about it." Kentaro made to make a move but Kakashi took a hold of his arm and the two were being thrown back into the woods, a faint popping noise as they both left Ritsuka's mind in peace.

...

Ritsuka's eyes fluttered open as she felt consciousness return to her, though she immediately wished she could just fall away to the bliss of nothing again as she found herself still stuck in her stupid cage. She sat up with a bit of trouble, her limbs proving to be a little useless in this whole adventure.

Good news, Kentaro seemed to be gone, she could feel her mind empty of any invading forces, which also meant that Kakashi was missing too.

Which was the bad news.

She sighed as she thumped against her watery walls, annoyed that the silver haired man had failed to realise her need for freedom. She smiled at her impatience, feeling sorry for poor Kakashi. He was probably off fighting for his and her lives and she was complaining that she was stuck, safe and sound in a box in her own mind, which, by the looks of things, was going to need some heavy repairing. Kentaro hadn't managed to do much in the time he had, but he had still left quite a mess...

How rude.

...

Kakashi smiled smugly as he brought his consciousness back to himself, feeling quite accomplished as he remembered the way to Kentaro's last remaining body. He could feel himself shake with anticipation as he gently placed a now vacant Ritsuka against the nearest tree to rest, his soft words hopefully comforting her as he stroked her hair lovingly.

"I have to go. I only have a few minutes before Kentaro manages to escape. And I can't let him get away. Not again." Kakashi waited for any kind of response from the girl, even though he knew none would come. She was still trapped in her mind, but fixing it now would take too long. "Yamato will be here shortly." Kakashi showed a small seed to Ritsuka before crushing it, a way of Kakashi contacting Yamato from afar it would seem. "He will look after you until I return." Kakashi kissed her forehead through his mask. "And I know there isn't much use in saying this because you're not exactly going anywhere, but please, stay out of trouble." He laughed softly at his joke before he returned to his full height. "I won't be long." And he was gone in a puff of smoke.

"Ritsuka?" Yamato was beside Ritsuka within a few seconds of Kakashi leaving. "What in the world happened here?"

...

Kakashi sniffed the air as he approached his destination. Kentaro couldn't be far, and he knew the coward would be running. Kakashi felt a tingling inside as he got closer, his hands shaking as he reached for his kunai. This was the end and god it felt sweet.

Kakashi ducked under a crudely set up trap, the wire not even tied taught enough to really be of any use at detecting movement. It sometimes really pissed him off how badly Kentaro did things, as if it was to add insult to injury. That Kakashi didn't deserve Kentaro's time and effort. That he didn't deem Kakashi clever enough to work these stupid attempts out. But time and time again, Kakashi would prove more than his worth to the prick, and still this is what he was greeted with...

Kakashi dodged another failed attempt at taking his life as he pressed on through the forest, night time now fully upon them. Kakashi would have to be quick, the Aranii not all dead yet. Gai was a fairly capable man, but not even he could handle a bunch of kids, an unconscious Ritsuka and a whole swarm of Aranii, even with his four shinobi helpers. It was too dangerous and anything could go wrong.

"Die!" Kakashi almost laughed as he dodged the senbon that came his way. His sharingan was already whirring into motion as Kakashi slinked along the trees towards the panicked footsteps of a now retreating asshole. "Why won't you just die?" Kakashi decided to allow Kentaro to hear his mocking laughter, hoping to insight more blinding rage in the failing man. "You have foiled every god damned attempt at making her mine these past few days, and I have to say I'm kinda getting sick of it. And your attitude is just so unappreciated by the way." Kakashi rolled his eyes as he slid around the tree he was currently leaning against, his nonchalant pose another way of antagonising the prick. "Everything I do, there you are, fucking it up. You're like a bad rash! And that smug smile you seem to have perfected over the years doesn't help either" Kakashi nodded, quite proud of his clearly annoying nature.

And he didn't regret a thing.

"Kentaro, I know this is very hard for you to understand, but Ritsuka is mine and that is that. And I have proved time and time again that I will not be letting her go anytime soon, so why don't you just come 'ere 'til I kill you." Kentaro scoffed though Kakashi could hear the defeat in his voice. He stood before him, a terrible excuse for a man, his shoulders hunched and his eyes red. The man had been crying, something that Kakashi had not really been expecting, but at the same time he was not surprised by it. But this did not mean Kakashi was about to drop his guard. He wasn't a complete idiot.

"You have to promise to look after her." Kakashi scoffed in annoyance, feeling he didn't really need to be told all this by the man who had stolen and kept Ritsuka kidnapped for years. What did he know about 'looking after'."And if you die here Kakashi, I will promise to do the same." What? Kakashi rubbed his ears feeling that maybe age may be playing on him a lot more than he had anticipated.

"You mean you're still going to fight for her, after everything, you still think you stand a chance?" Kakashi couldn't believe his ears. Kentaro truly was insane.

"I'm not just going to hand her over like she doesn't mean anything to me. She was mine first and you stole her. You fucked off. You left her. You didn't even notice her, notice how much she loved you. You just left. And she was devastated. And who was there to help her? That's right. Me. Not you. But then you just turn up one day, back into her life like you belonged there, and she fucking let you." Kentaro had taken to pacing as his voice increased in volume. "Like you hadn't even left. I bet you didn't even apologise. Didn't even bother to explain yourself. And she just fell for you all over again, like you were some kind of God. But we both know you are nothing but a lucky basterd who didn't deserve Ritsuka's compassion and understanding. Or her love. It should have been me. I was the one that was there. I was the one who sat with her when she didn't want to face the world. Wiped away her tears when she cried over you..." Kentaro pulled at his hair. "I don't understand!"

"Are you done?" Kentaro stopped pacing to glare at Kakashi.

"Done?" Kakashi rolled his eyes as he folded his arms.

"Yes Kentaro. Done. As in finished talking." Kentaro felt his heart clench in frustration.

"I hate you." Kakashi smirked.

"I take that as a no then." Kentaro screeched as he ran at Kakashi, kunai and senbon being thrown in all directions. Kakashi easily dodged them as he crashed into Kentaro, using his bodyweight to overcome the raging tornado of a man. Kentaro continued to screech his displeasure as he kicked and punched in all directions.

This was obviously the enraged version of the Kentaros, though it was proving hard to tell the difference between them all.

Maybe he was the vengeful version?

Whatever he was, Kakashi decided that it was irrelevant as he felt the skin on his upper arm being torn by yet another jutsu he had never heard of before. He ignored it as he threw a few of his own in Kentaro's direction, knocking him onto his back. Kakashi didn't waste time as he held Kentaro to the ground by his arms on his neck, chocking the life out of him. Kentaro struggled against Kakashi's strength, but he was no match.

"Fuck... You!" Kakashi ignored the abuse as he held Kentaro against the ground, the man's coughing and spluttering as he struggled against Kakashi's hand making him falter a little. He never enjoyed killing, and this kind of close proximity was not his thing.

But he had to do this. He had to kill him. Had to end this pricks reign of torment.

And then he noticed it.

Kakashi's sharingan was growing tiresome, and he was beginning to miss things. But not this one. Kakashi jumped to his feet and brought Kentaro to his height. Kentaro danced on his tip toes, a small smile on his lips.

"Where are you?" Kentaro laughed heartily as he pretended to wipe some tears from his eyes.

"Whatever do you mean?" Kakashi growled as he violently shook the body in his hand.

"I don't know how you managed to project a hengei, nor do I have any idea who's body this really is, but you forget that I am probably so far beyond you in skill that you can't even see me." Kakashi's eyes widened as he realised Kentaro's plan. "You just wanted me to leave Ritsuka." Kakashi dropped the body in his arms, only vaguely making out the body of an Aranii as he sprinted back towards Ritsuka.

...

"Ritsuka?" Yamato pulled at Ritsuka's eye lids, a little freaked out with her staring at him as if she were dead. But her breathing remained steady and her heart was beating. As he analysed the surrounding area, he could make out the signs of a struggle, and was not one hundred percent sure what Kakashi wanted him to do.

Was he to stay where he was and just protect Ritsuka?

Or take her back to the group and find a way of fixing what was wrong with her. Though he had no idea what the problem was...

Yamato sat with Ritsuka for a few moments, talking away encase she could hear him. He wasn't sure what to talk about really, but Kakashi seemed to be the main subject matter.

Yamato wasn't too far into his epic tale when he sensed some familiar chakra approach.

"Ritsuka. Hang tight and I will be back before you know it. Not that you're going anywhere." Ritsuka panicked behind her eyes, her fears of Kakashi being hurt at the forefront of her mind. Yamato reappeared as soon as he had left, a little more wood like than before, and Ritsuka understood.

Kentaro was near.

**Herro!**

**My god this chapter was a nightmare... it has taken me weeks to get nowhere and I am very sorry. the steams of inspiration have really run dry, so much so I'm not even coughing out dust no more...**

**But hopefully things will begin moving again. Everything is all planned out, It's just gettin there thats the problem... English is hard XD**

**well hope you enjoy and thank you all for your kind reviews XD**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Yamato smiled sweetly at Ritsuka as two more versions of him appeared from within the foliage, the real Yamato hopefully long gone.

"Everything is going to be just fine." Yamato seemed confident as he held her cheek tenderly so she could look straight at him. This helped Ritsuka calm inside herself, but she still wished she could be of more use. She kicked at her cage uselessly, realising just how much of an actual dead weight she was right now, which was frustrating, since she had been so close to getting to grips with her formal self. "I'm gonna take good care of you." One of the Yamato's, the one talking, quickly and easily hoisted Ritsuka's lifeless body into his arms.

A twig snapped over to the left, Kentaro evidently having approached quicker than Yamato had anticipated. His grip tightened on Ritsuka, his other two wooden bodyguards stepping between Kentaro and Ritsuka instantly.

Ritsuka felt her fingers strain as she balled them into fists; her view from her now badly positioned head not helping her nerves any. Kakashi trusted Yamato, but Ritsuka hadn't really seen him bust many moves as of late, and was unsure of how this fight was about to pan out.

After all, this was Kentaro.

"Clever." Kentaro smirked as he walked out into sight, the two Yamato's in front slinking into defensive poses. "Using your clones again so I can't link with you, and your wooden ones because I, of course, could easily bypass through your chakra based ones. But how do you know I can't do the same thing with these clones?" The Yamato holding Ritsuka scoffed in annoyance.

"Does it really matter? Let's just get this over with." Kentaro tutted as he slowly walked in the small clearing.

"You Konoha shinobi are all so straight to the point. It's like there's no art to fighting to the death anymore." Kentaro scratched at his head, pretending to be as detached and uncaring of the current situation as possible. "But lucky for you , Yamato, I am in a bit of a rush, so if you would just hand over to me what is mine, then I will be on my way." Yamato made no indication that he was going to comply, the three clones just staring at Kentaro as he outstretched his arms.

"Nothing here belonging to you." Kentaro glared at the Yamato holding Ritsuka, a quiet hiss escaping him.

"I have no time for your Tom foolery. Now hand over the girl or die." Yamato again made no indication that he was going to hand Ritsuka over to him. "You forget, Yamato, that I have been inside your head, and know exactly how your clones work. So," Kentaro began to meander slowly, flipping his hand around as he spoke matter-of-factly at the group of wooden clones. "for me to take over your body and mind would just be too easy. Now let's just make this go away without anyone having to get hurt, and hand over _my_ Ritsuka, like a good boy now." Kentaro clapped his hands as if Yamato were a mere pet. Yamato again laughed, but Ritsuka felt his grip tighten even more.

Yamato was clearly unnerved by this new revelation. And quite rightly so. Kentaro was not a force to be reckoned with... Ritsuka tried to call out to Yamato in her head, give him the encouragement he obviously needed, but Yamato made no indication that he had heard a word.

Bummer.

Kentaro picked his pace up as he began to walk more directly towards the defending trio when he suddenly stopped, his eyes widening.

"It can't be..." Yamato took this opportunity to engage in a surprise attack, his bodyguard clones shooting towards Kentaro with immense speed and strength, their attacks precise and well calculated. "Don't fucking insult me with your pathetic attempts!" Kentaro talked a good game, but from what Ritsuka could see, Yamato was owning him!

But she couldn't see very much...

"Just die." Yamato seemed bored as he spoke under his breath, clearly as sick as Kakashi was with this ridiculous saga. Ritsuka felt Yamato's grip on her falter a little as his body shook, Kentaro's ominous self peering over his shoulder.

Ritsuka could see the man of her nightmares stare straight in at her, his all knowing eyes seeming to find this whole situation quite funny.

"What was that?" Kentaro was just playing them, the body guards dropping the pile of sticks Kentaro had replaced himself with. The clone holding Ritsuka pulled free of the rather large kunai sticking into his back, his eyes serious as he jumped into the canopy above. The other two clones attacked Kentaro, their superior Anbu skills proving to be advantageous as they wore the man down, his shrieks of rage and disbelief resonating throughout the trees. Ritsuka watched the best she could, the angle of her head again not proving to be of much use. Kentaro seemed to be sluggish in his movements, even though he was himself. Ritsuka wondered if maybe he hadn't perfected his revival process as much as he would have hoped, his stubbornness and impatience proving to once again be his downfall.

"So what's the situation?" Kakashi appeared behind the pair of them in a puff of smoke, his voice strained as he was clearly suffering from fatigue. The clone smiled down at the scene of the other two pinning the struggling man to the ground.

"He's not as tough as you made out." Kakashi shrugged, his closed eye smile forced. "I think I have him if you would care to do the honours." Kakashi sighed softly.

"Yes. I would." Ritsuka felt Yamato's body bounce slightly as Kakashi left the branch they were hiding on, her pleas for Kakashi to be careful falling on deaf ears.

Kakashi dropped to the ground, his fingers coming together in the many hand seals he would probably never forget. His Chidori screeched and chirped as he approached the now profusely swearing, excuse of a man.

"I hate you! I hate you!" Kakashi smirked sadly as he watched the man wriggle and writhe, tears falling from his eyes. "I don't want to die!" His waling was almost too much, but Kakashi was a Konoha S class Shinobi. This was what he was born and bred for.

"You should have just stayed away. Then none of this would have happened. Your bitterness and selfishness were the beginning and end of you." Kentaro screamed his protests.

"Give me a chance to repent. I can be different! I can change!" Kakashi rolled his eyes, tired of these pitiful pretences.

"No." Kakashi knelt down, his Chidori screaming in his hand. "You can't" Kakashi thrust his deadly technique through the man's chest, Kentaro's heart exploding in his hand. Kakashi blinked as blood sprayed onto his face, the sound of Yamato's clones popping out of existence echoing loudly next to him, a strange accompaniment to the now vanishing screams of the man beneath him.

And so ended the epic saga of the crazed Kentaro.

...

"Can you sit her up?" Yamato nodded and complied with Kakashi's wishes, trying his best to move Ritsuka's limp body without bending her limbs too horribly. "That's fine." Yamato watched his friend closely, noticing how he seemed no happier, even though he had just killed his nemesis. He wasn't sure what he had expected of the tired man, but it sure as hell wasn't more depression.

Kakashi bit his finger to draw his blood and then began to trace symbols and patterns along the ground, up Ritsuka's now exposed arms and stomach, all the way up to her staring eyes. He sighed softly as he closed his own, readying himself for the probably exhausting jutsu ahead. He took Ritsuka's hands in his, and held her in place.

"You can leave the circle now, I've got her." Yamato nodded, but chose to say nothing as he did what was asked of him. Kakashi lowered his head for a moment and muttered his incantation, chakra running from his hands through Ritsuka's fingers and into her eyes, along the bloodied paths of old incantations. Ritsuka's head lulled dangerously as her fingers began to twitch, her eyelids flickering frantically. "That's it, you can do it." Kakashi laid Ritsuka down tenderly, his hand catching the back of her head before it hit the ground, his other hand locked with hers, his deep concentration on Ritsuka and Ritsuka alone, seemingly unbreakable.

Yamato felt terribly out of place as he watched the couple. He had never seen such intensity or emotion from Kakashi before, and he found it almost mesmerising.

"That's it, fight it off." Kakashi's voice was quiet, but still audible. "That's it. Come on." Kakashi continued to stroke Ritsuka's forehead, her body now convulsing more violently.

"Fuck!" Ritsuka sat bolt upright, almost head butting Kakashi. Her body then immediately relaxed, Kakashi catching her before she did further damage to herself.

"Well done." Kakashi rubbed his fingers gingerly through Ritsuka's hair, taking most of it from her face. "You did it. Rest now." The three of them sat in silence as Kakashi continued to brush his fingers through Ritsuka's impossibly tangled hair.

"Is she okay?" Yamato hadn't meant to speak and ruin the little moment, but his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own as of late. Yamato sighed as he ducked his head a little, showing he was sorry. Kakashi seemed not to notice as he replied.

"She will be fine. Just needs some rest. Kentaro made a bit of a mess in the there." Kakashi gestured towards her head, his finger lingering on her burning skin for a moment.

"Where did you go?" Kakashi sat back for a second, his eyes staring off into the surrounding darkness.

"Kentaro, he was inside of her mind." Yamato nodded, though seemed a little confused. "Differently this time. That's why I didn't see it before it was too late." Kakashi looked at Ritsuka again, his expression pained. "I should have known though. Should have seen it." Yamato shook his head, though he couldn't find the words to comfort his obviously despairing friend. "He made her say such horrible things and I was so self absorbed that I didn't even notice it wasn't her. She didn't speak the way she would, didn't use the same logic or even mannerisms. I mean the odd few that she seems to have picked up, but she has shouted at me before, but not like that." Yamato rolled his eyes at his perfectionist friend.

"The main thing is that it's over now." Kakashi didn't respond. "Right?" Kakashi shrugged.

"If there is anything I have learned from this experience is that you can never be sure with Kentaro." Yamato nodded in understanding, the tension falling thickly on the pair.

"Well you can't blame yourself for everything. I mean, you tried your best. You're only human. And of course your perspective is going to be out of focus when the person you love is saying horrible things. It's perfectly normal." Kakashi scoffed, clearly disappearing headlong down a depression curve.

"Anyway. Kentaro was miles away, so I used my Sharingan to locate him. When I found it, he had managed to project a transformation jutsu on an Aranii, and managed to lead me to this beast instead of him, and away from Ritsuka. I should have seen it!" Yamato allowed Kakashi to talk through what happened. It wasn't often that he could be there for Kakashi in the way he needed, and he wasn't about to fuck it up with trying to make him feel better. Kakashi wasn't the bullshit-able type. "So again I was outsmarted by an apparent idiot." Kakashi sighed as he brought his hands to his face, his knuckles going white as he apparently tried to crush his own skull. Yamato waited for his friend to continue. "The only reason I actually 'won' was that he had pushed himself beyond his limits and was too weak to take you over." Yamato had feared that Kentaro's words had been true, and that he had figured out a way to channel his control over his wooden clones, and as Kakashi confirmed it, he felt shivers run up and down his spine.

They had been so close.

And lucky.

"Kakashi. I know this has been really hard for you, and I appreciate you feel partially to blame, but you can't possibly be solely to blame." Kakashi looked away from Yamato, as if he was a child being scolded. This was really not cool. "Kentaro is gone. Don't let him continue to torture you in death. What matters is that you have Ritsuka back, and your son. Kentaro is no more and you can go home, with your family finally intact. Isn't that what you want?" Kakashi nodded, though he still refused to look at Yamato. Yamato presumed Kakashi was just avoiding him, trying to regain what dignity he had left after opening up like that. Or at least that's how Kakashi would be seeing it. He was always so mysterious.

A little too mysterious to be healthy really.

"Oh cheer the fuck up you miserable basterd." Kakashi's expression immediately changed as Ritsuka's mumbled words washed over him. "When did you become such a whiney wee girl?" He laughed heartily as he checked Ritsuka over, helping her to sit up as she rubbed her head painfully.

"Ever since you came back into my life and made everything so unnecessarily complicated." Ritsuka smiled as she punched Kakashi playfully in the ribs, his comical 'oof' a sound Yamato never imagined Kakashi was capable of making.

"Well fuck ya then!" Ritsuka pushed him away as she tried to get to her feet, but Kakashi pulled her back down onto her back.

"You're not ready to move." Ritsuka rolled her eyes as she pushed him away again, this time Kakashi allowing the girl to learn the hard way.

"Don't embarrass me in front of Yamato." Yamato put his hands in the air defensively.

"Oh no. Don't use me as your excuse for stubbornness." Ritsuka rounded on him.

"Stubbornness?" Kakashi laughed quietly as he rubbed his nose tenderly against her cheek.

"Told you." Ritsuka pushed him away for the third time, her playful smile back in full swing.

"Well fuck both of you." Yamato's eyes widened slightly at the girl's rudeness, but he couldn't help but smile. She really hadn't changed at all...

Ritsuka managed to get to her knees before the world began to spin again, her mind racing with questions and confusion. Kentaro had done a nice job of fucking shit up, but she could feel Kakashi's jutsu fixing away at the broken memories and thoughts. Her admiration for the man seemed to grow daily. He had come so far, and she had managed to somehow go backwards. She suddenly felt his awesomeness crush her a little. He wasn't even a speck in front of her anymore, he was long gone.

And he deserved better.

Ritsuka sighed as she pulled herself together again, her mind almost disappearing on another depressive rampage.

"How do you feel?" Kakashi's almost smug voice brought Ritsuka back to their current pretend argument.

"Yes, fuck face, am doing great. Did the world always spin this fast? 'cause if I'm honest, it's a bit rude..." Kakashi laughed softly as he helped her to her feet, deciding it was probably better to help her rather than watch her fail miserably. "Thank you." Kakashi nodded as he slowly let go of Ritsuka's shaking form. "Haha! Yamato, yee of so little faith! Behold!" Ritsuka raised her arms as she posed like a god, her body wobbling dangerously. Kakashi rolled his eyes as he caught her arm, her stumbling only going to result in disaster.

"Right, come on you. Let's head back to camp. Dunno bout you guys, but am knackered." Ritsuka smiled sympathetically at Kakashi as he led her through the forest, Yamato following closely behind.

...

"Kakashi!" Gai jumped down from main hideout's roof, his gleaming smile in place. "You look like hell!" Kakashi offered a weak smile, his body slightly slumped. Gai laughed heartily as he descended to the ground like some kind of superhero, his teeth shining painfully in the rising sun. "You really should look after yourself more. Green vegetables will only get you so far. You need to actually train for these long nights out saving the world." Gai approached Kakashi as he spoke, his arms reaching out to catch the fatigued man. Kakashi tried to push away from the flamboyant man, Ritsuka catching a glimpse of their old selves.

"Gai, I think we should just let him sit down, don't you?" Gai led Kakashi away, leaving Ritsuka to hide a little behind Yamato. "You not coming over?" Ritsuka watched Gai place Kakashi down next to the smouldering fire as she danced uncomfortably on her tip toes. A small smile graced her lips when she heard Gai offer Kakashi almost every kind of energy bar there was in the world.

"I'll just chill out over here thanks." Yamato turned to look at her closely, his stoic expression annoying her slightly. "What?" Yamato didn't let up his cold stare as he spoke.

"Why?" Ritsuka fumbled with her fingers as she continued to wriggle around, jumping from foot to foot.

"I just..." She smiled nervously as she slowly shrugged. "Like the view?" Yamato looked around at the valley, exclaiming his agreement sarcastically and rather unnecessarily over the top. "Well there's no need to be an ass." Yamato smiled softly, but it was gone before Ritsuka could smile back.

"What's going on?" Ritsuka could see Kakashi watching her as he desperately fought sleep, his knowing eyes boring a whole right through her. Yamato followed her gaze, his expression puzzled. "You haven't fallen out have you?" Yamato had no idea when it had happened if they had, and was really beginning to wish he had left the situation alone. Ritsuka shook her head as she sighed, guilt shining in her eyes.

"I brought most of these kids here. I don't want them to notice me and... freak out. You know?" Yamato nodded slowly, not really sure how to approach the problem. Luckily for him, Kakashi was already handling things... Thank god.

"So you were all found here then. Good to be out again?" Kakashi called out to the now gathering children. Most of them just nodded, though a couple mumbled their agreement. Kakashi smiled sweetly at them, all hints of his tiredness pretty much gone. "Do you all remember how you got here?" Some of the kids shook their heads but a couple turned and pointed fingers at Ritsuka. Kakashi looked over and locked eyes with Ritsuka, her panicked face bringing forth his protective nature. He swallowed it back. "We all know what Kentaro was capable of yes?" Again the children nodded, more of them finding the confidence to speak out. "He was a bad man and could make people do anything he wanted, didn't he?" More agreement from his captured audience. "Well Ritsuka here," Kakashi held his hand out, indicating for Ritsuka to take it, thus bringing her right into the lime light. She wasn't sure she was ready for this, but she complied none the less. "was just like you. She was taken away from her home and family. Forced to do things she didn't want to. She didn't even know she was doing it at the time." Ritsuka felt her eyes grow heavy as she found herself staring at the ground, ashamed. The silence was killing her, but she just couldn't bring herself to look at anyone. Kakashi nudged her, nodding his head towards the group that were now all staring at her.

"I'm..." Ritsuka swallowed hard. "I'm so, so very sorry!" She blurted out her apologies as she felt her eyes sting with tears, her voice strained as she forced herself to speak through her obvious pain. Kakashi smiled at her, taking her hand tenderly.

"And do you forgive her?" Most of the kids just nodded, but a few spoke up and agreed. Ritsuka felt a great weight lift from her shoulders, which immediately came crashing back down as she heard one voice scream their protest.

"It's your fault my brother is dead!" Kakashi squeezed her hand tightly. "I will never forgive you! Never!" Ritsuka nodded, her strength surprising her greatly.

"And I wouldn't want you to." The boy stepped back, quite perplexed. So he tried to break her from another angle.

"Now I am alone! Forever! My brother was all I had, and now he's one of those irreversible monsters! I have nothing to live for! Nothing!" Ritsuka nodded again, her head hung in shame. Kakashi held her hand still as the rest of her shook violently with nerves.

"Is there anything I can do to make things right? Make things... better?" The boy scoffed as he walked up to Ritsuka, his eyes conveying no fear at all.

"Nothing you can do will ever bring him back. But if you would like to make me feel better." The boy pulled away from Ritsuka then, a couple of the other children standing with him like a united front. Clearly they had also lost family members and friends, and she was going to receive the blame.

And she would happily take it.

"Just die." The words were quiet, but their impact was more than Ritsuka had been ready for. She felt tears spill over, and she found herself nodding to the boy.

"Don't worry. I'll die one day. Maybe not as quick as you would like, but I'm sure my days are numbered rather low by now." Ritsuka saw a flicker of pity cross the boy's face, and she hated herself more for it. She didn't want pity. She wanted the boy to hit her. Punch her so hard that she would never be able to forget it. Kick her, bight her, stick the head in her... anything to take away the sharp edges of her unavoidable guilt.

To feel some kind of retribution for the things she had done, under the control of Kentaro or not. She had ruined lives, and she would never be able to fix that. The boy shut his eyes tight as he shook his head, clearly most annoyed with Ritsuka's reaction not being quite what he had planned for. He then kicked her hard in the shin, pointing his finger at her as he began to scream nothing at her. Just outraged, pained screams of nothing as he thumped and punched her repeatedly, Ritsuka taking the attacks as they came.

"That's enough." Kakashi rose from his makeshift seat, standing between the small group of kids and Ritsuka. She tried to push him away, but he wouldn't budge.

"Protecting her makes you just as bad." The boy eyed Kakashi bravely. "Lady. One day I'll become so strong you won't be able to comprehend it, and I _will_ kill you." Kakashi growled his warning, and the boy flinched before pulling back a little. The rest of the group had dissipated, returning back to the group of forgivers. The boy scoffed at them as he remained alone.

"What's your name?" The boy didn't look at Ritsuka as he replied.

"Muugen." Ritsuka nodded thoughtfully as she smiled slightly.

"I look forward to seeing how strong you become. You should train hard, become as strong as you can be, and then we'll see if it's enough." The boy looked at Ritsuka a little confused. Had she just given him permission to try and kill her? And challenged him? The boy thought for a few moments before he replied.

"Just don't die before I get to kill you." Ritsuka giggled happily.

"Done!" Kakashi eyed her suspiciously before returning slowly to his seat, clearly standing being a little too much for him. Ritsuka sat next to him as she rubbed his back tenderly, Muugen wandering off to the back of the group of kids. Some tried to apologise for deserting him, but he ignored them, sticking his nose in the air as held his dignity high.

"You know, you're such a pain in my ass." Ritsuka shrugged.

"Well, now Muugen has something to live for." Kakashi sighed, not convinced that she had done the right thing.

"Revenge?" Kakashi shook his head. "You never really avenge people. You were always to level headed and understanding. But I have and I tell you, it's nothing more than a poison." Ritsuka saw something flash in Kakashi's visible eye, the atmosphere around him thickening. Ritsuka sat in silence for a few moments.

"So how _does_ it feel?" Kakashi turned back to see Ritsuka's questioning look. "For example, finally ridding the world of its biggest source of scum, Kentaro? Surely that was satisfying, no?" Kakashi smiled sadly as he stared ahead again, his eyes holding a great deal of conflict.

"Not as good as you would think." Ritsuka nodded, though the action was lost since Kakashi wasn't looking in her direction. "It was... hollow." Ritsuka watched as Kakashi fought to find the words. "For a long time, it's all you think about, and it festers within, turning to hate. And nothing good comes out of hating people." He brushed a hand through his messy hair. "Killing him was just... nothing. Not even relief. There's a sense of pride of being the winner, of keeping you safe. But that's it. No happiness, no weight lifted, because he still did what he did, and nothing can ever change that." Ritsuka nodded, feeling she understood. "Not even his death. It's just, something humans do." Ritsuka felt her heart tighten as she thought of the potential problem she had just caused. "Did you know that humans are the only species that fight and kill for fun or sport?" Ritsuka shook her head.

"Seems pretty accurate though." Kakashi smiled weakly as he lent his head on Ritsuka's shoulder. "It's not like I'm going to abandon the poor boy..." Kakashi raised an eyebrow, worrying about Ritsuka's plan. "I'll enrol him in the academy, and get him trained. Teach him that there's more to life, show him as much love as I possibly can, and maybe eventually I can fix things. But until then, I need to give him something to fight for. Something to aim for and stay alive for." Kakashi sighed.

"And what if he doesn't change his mind?" Ritsuka looked away from Kakashi then, knowing her answer would upset him.

"Then I get killed then, don't I?" Kakashi growled in annoyance before slumping in his seat.

"It's amazing how your selfless acts can be so selfish." Ritsuka felt his words sting her, and she physically flinched. Kakashi noticed, but found himself unable to comfort her. He stared at the ground as the silence passed between them, Gai's exaggerated stories keeping the kids busy as the rest of the team prepared to stay another afternoon so Kakashi could rest.

Ritsuka sat with Kakashi for a long time, the silence seemingly unbreakable. Kakashi stood from his now uncomfortable rock and wandered off to sleep, Ritsuka watching as the tired Shinobi left her, without a word. Her heart clenched painfully as new tears formed, their watery trails burning her cheeks as she just sat and watched the silver haired Shinobi sleep, his back turned to her.

**Yey! Kentaro is dead! And I'm sorry for al you who were wanting lots of emotive speaches but i felt his death needed to be quick and dull, to keep it as realistic as possible. Hope you guys are happy with it though... has taken me a while (as i know you have all noticed) to get him tae fuck! a lot of pressure on getting this one right, so i hope you like!**

**And a wee fall out! I wanted to add a new element to the story, this Muugen. and a potential storyline to go along with it. And Kakashi gettin well pissed off, which you can understand i spose. Ritsuka is quite selfish at times, and sometimes comes across as a martyr, so i wanted to bring a new look on it with Kakashi. **

**well i hope you all enjoy this chapter and hope to hear wat you all think XD**

**have fun!**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Ritsuka woke to someone shaking her, their soft voice alluring her into reality. She opened her eyes to see Yamato smiling down at her, his warm expression a nice change to the usual wakeup call of pure panicked emergency and potential death.

"Evening." Yamato sat back as he allowed Ritsuka to wipe the sleep from her eyes. She sat up slowly as the last couple of weeks flooded back to her, a deep depression filling her as she realised the significance of Yamato waking her, and not Kakashi.

He still wasn't talking to her. She couldn't help but feel he was being a little childish, but she supposed she deserved it.

She sighed heavily as she felt the weight of the world push down on her, her feeble shoulders just not seeming to be enough for it anymore.

"Everyone is pretty much ready to go. And don't worry, Kakashi is fine. Gai's got him." Ritsuka shot a look at Yamato, her worry clearly evident. What did he mean by 'got him'? "He's still too weak to walk, so Gai offered to carry him back to the main village. Or until he is able to walk himself." Ritsuka nodded slowly, a little relieved that maybe he hadn't woken her because he was unable to physically walk over to her. "You okay? You look... Troubled." Ritsuka shook her head, her fake smile in place as she began to bustle about, hoping her keeping busy would make her seem all the more fine. A common human mistake it would seem. Yamato sighed as he too rose to his feet, clearly unimpressed by the girl's lack of effort to hide her turmoil. "If you don't want to talk, that's fine. Just don't take me for a fool." Ritsuka nodded, her head hung a little in apology. "We're leaving in five." Ritsuka pulled on one of Kakashi's jumpers that he had put in her pack a few days back, his smell making her eyes well up a little.

Ritsuka shook away her tears as she threw her now closed pack over her shoulder, her eye catching Muugen's as he stared at her from across the small camp. She smiled at him as she slowly walked over to the crowding group, immediately regretting it as the boy gave her the finger.

She supposed she deserved that too.

...

It wasn't long before Yamato had sorted the group into subgroups, each with their own Shinobi protector. Ritsuka wasn't too pleased with Muugen being in her small group, but Yamato had taken no notice of the boy's outcry.

"She'll have us all killed!" Muugen had kicked and screamed, demanding a new group when Yamato was in his face in a second.

"She is also the only reason you are alive today." Muugen slunk back in fear, Yamato's expression anything but kind. Ritsuka rolled her eyes as the boy flipped her the bird again, obviously feeling that his opinions had been ignored for far too long now. "So, if we are all ready now?" Ritsuka felt her heart sink as she thought of the long and torturous walk back, with nothing but her thoughts to accompany her, and of course Muugen's constant abuse.

Here we go...

...

The night stretched out for what felt like days as Ritsuka tried to keep Muugen at least within watching distance, but he just seemed to be defying everything she said. She eventually learned that the boy was just going to do what he wanted no matter what, and she could do nothing but sense him as he followed them.

"Ritsuka?" The small girl of her group was very quiet, a thankful change from Muugen.

"What's up?" She had learned the girl's name was Katsa, and had been brought to the lair by another one of Kentaro's followers. She was relieved to learn his fact, and the girl had seemed to take a shine to her which was also a nice relief.

"My legs are sore." A deep sense of failure shone in the girl's eyes, and Ritsuka couldn't help but smile. She reminded her so much of herself, an innocent vulnerable girl, who always saw herself as some kind of burden.

Well... that was sort of the case now really...

"If you would like? I'd be most happy to carry you." The little girl gave Ritsuka a huge grin, but shied back a little as she modestly accepted the offer.

"Only if it's not too much trouble?" Ritsuka laughed softly as she hoisted the girl so that she could sit on her hip, Ritsuka's right arms under the girl to support her.

"Not at all." Ritsuka caught a glimpse of Muugen further back on the trail, his expression conflicted. Ritsuka wished she could call out to him and make everything all right again, but she couldn't. All she could do was wait for the boy to come to her. And she would have to build bridges on his terms. Maybe she could eventually save the boy from going down the dark road of revenge.

Kakashi was right. What was she thinking?

The night dragged on, and the Aranii attacks were minimal. Their numbers were thinning out, Naruto and his team apparently well on their way to destroying them in their entirety.

Ritsuka sighed with relief as she felt the first rays of the morning spill across her skin, her love for the sun born anew. She even almost cheered when Yamato suggested they set up camp for the day, the kids needing time to recover before they set off on another part of the journey to potential, and hopefully, freedom.

"Okay, Katsa. How are your legs feeling now?" The girl smiled shyly.

"Numb." A blush rose in her cheeks as she glanced quickly at the other three boys in her group .

"Oh that will sort itself out. Maybe just give them a wee rub to get the blood circulating better." Ritsuka hesitated before touching the girl. "May I?" The girl nodded enthusiastically, her broad smile back in place. Ritsuka then began to rub and message the girl's legs, her skin cold to the touch. "You cold?" The girl shrugged as she looked off into the morning.

"A bit?" Ritsuka turned to see the other three boys nodding also, the cold wind snapping at them cruelly. Ritsuka rummaged through her bag before finding the other jumper Kakashi had loaned her. She put it over the boy closest to her, who was the smallest and most frail looking, and urged the other two to share it with him.

"The closer you are together, the more likely the body heat of each of you will keep you all warm." She then removed the jumper she was wearing and placed it on Katsa.

"What will you do for warmth?" Ritsuka smiled as she rose to her feet.

"I'm going to sort us out some food then I'll be sharing with you if that's okay?" The girl clapped her hands excitedly as she pretty much sang her agreement. "Alright then, well keep it nice and warm for when I get back." The little girl curled up tightly in the jumper, and Ritsuka was sure she could see her giving the thumbs up through the thick fabric.

What a relief they didn't _all_ hate her.

Ritsuka meandered over to Yamato, letting him talk to the other teammates as he made plans and provisions for the next couple of days.

"And if we could all keep our kids close and continue to watch out for Aranii, I think we'll be fine." Shikamaru and Hinata nodded while the others just murmured in agreement. Ritsuka noticed that Kakashi was nowhere to be seen, her frantic yet calm visual search coming up blank.

"He's asleep." Ritsuka almost jumped as she heard Gai speak from beside her, his arm now slouching over her shoulders lazily. "He seems very troubled. Murmured all the way here. Your name came up a few times. Is something wrong?" Ritsuka sighed as she physically slumped, the weight of the world reminding her that it was still resting on her. Plus, now Gai's arm as well. "I hope you haven't hurt my dear friend." Ritsuka shrugged. "You may be the love of my life Ritsuka, but Kakashi is also my closest friend. I would never have given you up for another. We have grown even closer since you were taken, and I know when he is hurting." Ritsuka looked to see Gai's serious eyes penetrating hers. "Go and see him. Even if he is not awake, I'm sure he can still hear you." Ritsuka nodded as she slinked out of Gai's hold, a little ashamed of her apparent inability to talk.

Ritsuka headed over in the direction Gai had pointed, and soon came across a small tent where Kakashi's hair could be seen protruding from. Ritsuka stopped in her tracks as she thought of what to say, but nothing came to her as she just stood there, like an idiot, unsure on what it was she was really waiting for. Kakashi remained still as he mumbled in his fatigued state. Ritsuka approached him slowly and quietly, hoping that he would remain asleep as she silently suffered.

Ritsuka wiped tears from her eyes as she looked on the pale figure of the man she loved, exhausted and broken. She had seen him in this state many times before, and had managed to handle to situation fine, but to think that this was all brought on by her? He wouldn't have been this knackered if she was strong enough to fight Kentaro herself. She should have killed him when she had the chance. When they were kids.

But she couldn't. Too weak to fight against his hold.

Pathetically holding onto ideals of never killing and preserving all life because it was so sacred. And look where that lead. Was Kentaro's life really worth the death of so many?

"Rit..." Ritsuka dropped to her knees so that she was now beside Kakashi, her fingers interlocking with his, her worried and caring side overriding all thoughts as she heard the man's strained voice.

"I'm here." Kakashi physically relaxed as a small smile tugged at his lips. Then he winced and groaned as his aching muscles pulled horribly, his eye burning in its socket.

"Sorry. Touchy... Sasuke." Ritsuka frowned as she struggled to understand what he meant, but she figured it was to do with their argument.

"Don't worry about it. I'm an idiot anyway, but honestly, don't worry. I'm going to fix things. Sort stuff with the boy. Everything is going to be amazing!" Kakashi smirked at the girl's clear excitement, her good humour and positivity just what he needed.

"Aw... some." Ritsuka smiled as tears fell, her sobbing laughter a strange sound.

"So, how do you feel?" Kakashi seemed to struggle for words as he tried to fight with his eyelids.

"Fine. Well... Okay. Could be... Better." Ritsuka smiled as she stroked the side of his face, pulling down his mask as she kissed him on the lips tenderly. Kakashi's light snoring made her laugh a little, though she was feeling much better about everything. Kakashi wasn't one to apologise, and she couldn't wait to hear what he meant by 'Sasuke'. That seemed to be something that plagued him.

"See." Gai was beginning to take this ninja shit a wee bit too far, Ritsuka's heart slowing again from near heart attack. "Wasn't that hard was it?" Ritsuka glared at the over enthusiastic and very green man, annoyed at her old friend's all knowing attitude.

"Yes, well sometimes things seem a lot more complicated than they actually are." Gai smiled at Ritsuka, his arm snaking round her shoulders as he began to lead her back to her small group.

"But it wasn't, was it." Ritsuka grimaced as she agreed with the large eye-browed ninja next to her. "See. Admittance is the first step my dear friend!" Ritsuka wasn't really sure what she was meant to be conquering with her admittance being the first step, but she decided it best just to leave it for now. "You still having problems with the boy?" Luckily Gai had changed the subject, though not exactly to a topic that Ritsuka really wanted to touch on.

"I guess. Yeah." Ritsuka sighed as she saw her group, and then felt the presence of the strange boy a few trees back. "He really hates me. I didn't mean for all this to happen. I should have- " Gai struck Ritsuka on the back of the head, effectively silencing her.

"Blaming yourself clearly isn't fixing anything. Why don't you try something else?" Ritsuka scrubbed the back of her head as she scowled at the man.

"Like what?" Gai rolled his eyes.

"The boy is clearly upset. Talk to him?" Ritsuka growled in annoyance.

"I have already. And you saw what happened. I know I need to keep trying, but smothering him isn't going to sort it. I need to wait for him to come to me. Wait for him to open up slightly so I have something to go on. Something to talk to him about. All he wants to do is gouge my eyes out, so how am I supposed to get through to him?" Ritsuka nodded her head in agreement with herself. "Yeah. Timing is what is essential here."

"Then you know exactly what to do then. So why are you asking me?" Gai shrugged as he began to walk away, his smug expression in place.

"I didn't even ask you! You overly green pain in the ass." Gai dramatically turned his head to look at Ritsuka over his shoulder and winked, his blinding toothy grin almost too much. "Ooopht... you annoy me greatly at times." Gai was gone, but she could hear his stupid muffled laughter. Ritsuka then grabbed some food from the ever depleting pile that had been made in the middle of the small clearing and headed back to her group.

...

Ritsuka woke to the sound of rustling in the bushes to the left of her and her group. The girl in her arms continued to sleep, unaffected by the almost unnoticeable noise. Ritsuka gently slipped out of the jumper, expertly lying the girl down as if she hadn't been snuggled up with her only a moment before. She then stood to her full height, her eyes scanning. She then noticed the little packet of food that she had left out for Muugen was gone.

"You know you shouldn't really go sneaking around a camp full of shinobi." She could see the shadow of Muugen suddenly still and then shiver in annoyance.

"Is that a threat?" Ritsuka inwardly cursed.

"No. Just a note to remember." The boy didn't move as he went back to munching his food bar, the packet discarded by the foot of the bush separating them. "You also shouldn't leave your rubbish lying about. We have a hard enough time staying hidden without things like this leading enemies straight to us."

"What do you care?" Ritsuka took a deep breath to calm herself before picking the wrapper up. Maybe giving the boy into trouble every two seconds wasn't really going to help things either. Ritsuka sighed.

"Look, I know things have been hard, and it doesn't seem like there's going to be an end to the pain, but- " Muugen appeared in front of Ritsuka, his fist almost connecting with her chin.

"Don't you dare talk to me like you have any idea what I'm going through. Don't!" Ritsuka sighed as she looked down at the suddenly very vulnerable boy. His eyes were filled with tears as snot began to trickle down to his lip. He wiped it away harshly before spitting at the ground in front of Ritsuka's feet.

"But I do know what it is like." Muugen growled in annoyance, his voice harsh and increasing in volume. Ritsuka approached the boy, seeing that he was ready to explode and lead him away from the sleeping group.

"No! You don't! You don't know what it's like to be torn away from your home, your family, your life! Don't know what it's like to lose someone you love! 'Cause you're an asshole!" Ritsuka allowed the boy to speak to her harshly, allowed him to cry a little as he recounted the many misfortunes he had been through because of her. And she allowed him to pull at her t-shirt, allowed him to punch at her stomach and scream his hatred into her skin as he slumped against her, exhausted from his violent download. Ritsuka waited for the boy to calm down before she sat on the grass, checking quickly that he hadn't woken the group she was in charge of. Muugen remained standing, though looked like he could be joining her out of necessity in a moment or two.

"I do know what it is like, whether you want to believe it or not." Muugen growled in annoyance, but his closing eyes signified his inability to talk anymore. Ritsuka caught the boy as he fell, his light snores and still watery eyes a welcome new turn of events. Ritsuka had at least communicated a little more with the boy, and realised how closely alike their situations had been.

Ritsuka picked up the slumbering boy and placed him into the jumper that she had been sharing with little Katsa previously; Muugen's skin was cold, and he would need to be warmed up if he was wanting to survive this journey back. Ritsuka then sat against the nearest tree, her mind buzzing and her heart pounding as she watched the clouds travel across the afternoon sky, her worries and fears for the next few days only seeming to double as she watched Muugen's disturbed sleep.

She really did have her work cut out for her.

...

Ritsuka woke to a soft shaking, her eyes opening to reveal a rather frustrated Katsa.

"Everyone is ready to go!" Ritsuka jumped to her feet, a little ashamed that she had allowed herself to sleep in at such a critical time. She could see everyone else getting ready to leave, packing and sorting their groups, and Ritsuka hadn't even fed her lot yet.

"Okay. Katsa, you shove those jumpers in here." Ritsuka handed her the rucksack. "And you guys," She pointed to the two boys, "I want you guys to gather the rubbish packs and stick them in the side pocket and ... Where's Muugen?" The group shrugged. Ritsuka sighed heavily. "Okay I'll get us food. Let's go."

Ritsuka rushed over to the food pile to find a couple of bars left, one of the younger shinobi she had never met having packed the rest. She quickly grabbed five and rushed back to her group, the tidying process luckily having been completed.

"Alright guys, let's get these eaten quick and then we'll be off." Ritsuka looked up to see Yamato doing his checks before they all left, Ritsuka feeling a lecture coming on. She was never one to sleep in, but recently she was really letting herself down. "Anyone seem Muugen yet?" The two boys and Katsa shook their heads. Ritsuka sigh hard again. This was too much stress for one person in her mental state.

Ritsuka finished her own bar as she walked into the trees Muugen had been creeping about in earlier that day, in the hope of catching a glimpse of him at least.

"Muugen?" She called out to him a few times, frustration almost getting the better of her as she heard Yamato's voice nearing her group. "I have food. If you want it come and get, otherwise we're moving out in a few moments so I would appreciate it if you would show me your still around. Ritsuka could feel his presence off to the left of her, but didn't feel him make any move. "Fine. I'll leave your bar here. Just stay close okay?" Muugen still didn't communicate with her, but as she left back out into the open to meet Yamato and his questioning look, she could feel Muugen making a dash for the bar.

God she'd give anything for a piece of normality.

...

Ritsuka found herself once again carrying Katsa, her lack of nutrition over the last few months taking its tole on her. She apologised often, but if Ritsuka was honest, she enjoyed the contact. She was severely missing her son, and wished nothing more than to get back to him as soon as possible. She had often worried that due to her constant memory wiping, she and Kyoya would never have bonded, but once she had escaped with him, Kyoya had been stuck to her like glue, as if they had never been separated in the first place. Although when she looked back on it, she wasn't really sure who looked after who. Kyoya had often been the voice of reason, though Ritsuka was the one making the decisions and saving their butts regularly. She had often dwelled on the possibility that he would have been distant, and unable to show her affection, but none of that had seemed to come between them, and he had seemed to take very well to Kakashi, which had also been a complete relief. But she really couldn't imagine how he felt, or how on earth he had managed to cope in such a terrible start in life.

"Ritsuka?" it was one of the boys this time, his blonde hair and blue eyes so very striking against the dark backdrop of the forest. Akahiko was his name, or at least that was what she had thought he had mumbled when she had asked him earlier. He looked about eight.

"Yeah?" She watched him closely as he tried to word his question.

"When we get to this checkpoint, what happens to us?" Ritsuka thought about it for a moment, carefully thinking of the best way to word her predictions.

"Usually kids like yourselves' would be reunited with parents or other family members if possible, but sometimes on attacks as great as this, that's not always possible." The tension of the small group was thick. "If that's the case, and you can't be reunited, then there are usually orphanage schemes set up so that you will at least have a roof over your head and three square meals a day, an education and a chance to start over. At least, that's how it works in our side of the world, I don't know about here though. But I'm sure it will be a similar structure. Don't worry about it though. Things will work out." The silence of the group was still saturated with worry, but Ritsuka wasn't really sure what else she could say. She couldn't promise them anything, and certainty wasn't something she could give them either. It was hard to watch them suffer so much, and she realised then just how lucky she had been to find Kakashi.

"What about Muugen?" Katsa's question was unexpected.

"Where will he go?" Katsa nodded in reply to Ritsuka's question. "I guess that is up to him. He could stay and start a new life, which I think would probably be best." Ritsuka hoped that Muugen was within earshot, though he didn't feel like he was that far behind. "But he could also spend the rest of his life looking for revenge. Which is a waste if you ask me." She could feel Muugen's rage as he reacted badly to her second suggestion, clearly feeling revenge wouldn't be a waste at all. "But he is old enough to look after himself, so no matter what path he chooses, I'm sure he'll be fine." She could feel Muugen calm down, though his bubbling anger was still within him.

The group continued on as the night began turning to day, the sun bursting through the clouds like a beacon of hope, and a signal for rest. Yamato had soon found the perfect place to rest up, the lack of attacks or Aranii sightings a little unsettling at times.

Ritsuka heard Yamato call for the group to set up camp, the morning sun now spilling through the trees and creating its usual strange patterns on the forest floor.

**OMG! AN UPload? I hear you say. Yes. Indeed it. And I feel I'm back on track-ish. Hope you like it! And are still reading? XD**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Ritsuka felt someone shake her awake, her depressing and haunting dreams vanishing as speckled sunlight replaced them.

"You awake?" Ritsuka sat bolt upright as she heard Kakashi's voice, her arms shooting around him and pulling him tight as she wept into his shoulder. Not exactly how she had planned to greet him, but it would do.

"I was so worried. I mean, I knew you'd get better, but I hate seeing you like that. It's not right. You're not usually so done in." Kakashi's muffled laughter made Ritsuka blush slightly as she pulled back, checking that the kids beside her were still asleep. "I'm so sorry. About all of this." Kakashi sighed as he tried to convey his annoyance with Ritsuka's constant apologies. "No. I mean it. All of it. If I'd just had the guts to do what I had to do all those years ago, not only would _we_ be okay, but the whole world wouldn't have had to experience this shit." Kakashi sighed as he manoeuvred himself to sit next to the girl, pulling her into him as he spoke.

"We are alright. Yes, we missed a couple of years and sure, my kid's grown up a little without me, but we're fine, aren't we?" Ritsuka nodded slowly. "I'll catch up with Kyoya and you, and everything will be great. As for the whole world? It's constantly in danger. If 'dick face' hadn't turned up and tried to kill everyone, someone else would have. We were lucky you knew what you did, otherwise taking him down would have been damn near impossible. And sure, you could have maybe killed him back then, but from what you told me, you couldn't have with his blood line. If anything, it's me who should apologise." Ritsuka hugged the man tightly to her, shaking her head furiously. "Or we could stop thinking of the past, which I would much rather, and look to the future?" Ritsuka then nodded with determination, hoping he wouldn't notice her tears. "Perfect!" Kakashi then lay down and pulled Ritsuka with him, staring up at the sky.

"So how do you feel?" Ritsuka's quiet question gained his attention again.

"Better. But not great." His eye watched Ritsuka's sceptical ones, the laughter lines at the side indicating a smile, one of the many ways she could tell. "Well, exhausted to be honest. Muscles are aching and head is spinning, but I couldn't stand another second in that teeny tiny tent, listening to Gai's terrible jokes and ramblings about how awesome he is, blah, blah, blah. I don't know how much more I can take of him in my life..." Ritsuka giggled.

"I thought you two were now the bestest of buddies? Gai tells me you two are now inseparable, that no one else in this world could know you better than he does." Kakashi rolled his visible eye.

"He wishes. I just tolerate him better." Ritsuka could tell Kakashi was joking, his playfulness about the situation warming her. She was glad to see that Kakashi had lightened up over the years, and how he had come to making more friends that understood him. It was comforting to know that Kakashi hadn't been completely alone.

"Hatake?" Kakashi leant up onto his elbow so he could look down at the girl. "I love you." Kakashi sat, perplexed for a moment before looking around him. He then slipped his mask down and kissed Ritsuka, his lips burning hers as the passion increased.

"I love you too." The words were quiet enough that no one else could have heard, and Ritsuka felt her heart swell. She had loved how he had now taken to returning the words, which he had previously felt was unnecessary. She hugged him tightly. "So how is being in charge of kids again going for you?" Ritsuka shrugged as she let him go, Kakashi returning to admiring her as she spoke.

"Oh it's good yeah. They're really well behaved. Even Muugen's not really been a hassle. He's probably listening in now actually. Doesn't seem to sleep much." Ritsuka looked off into the stars, obviously the whole Muugen situation bothering her.

"Yamato had good intentions." Ritsuka frowned, annoyed to find out that the man had indeed deliberately set the groups up so that she would be with the boy.

"I'm sure he did." Ritsuka swallowed her annoyance. "So do we know how long it is 'til we reach our checkpoint?" Change of subject.

"Tomorrow afternoon. Yamato wants to keep walking through the morning, the likelihood of attacks being minimal so close to the city. There are too many shinobi and we have been receiving updates that Naruto and his team have pretty much wiped them out." Ritsuka felt a sadness plague her at these words. "I'm then going to have to squeeze all the info you have on everything, if you don't mind, just so we can be sure the whole ordeal is over." Ritsuka nodded, always having hated doing the reports and paper work that came after missions. She then snuggled into her lover, enjoying the heat he gave off. Ritsuka held back her laughter as she heard Kakashi snore softly, obviously a lot more tired than he had let on.

...

That night, the walk seemed to be a lot more high spirited. They only had a night and a morning left, and then they would be free to go back to their families, or begin new lives in the city. Hopefully.

Kakashi had also decided to stay and walk with Ritsuka, conversing with the kids as if he had been a natural father all his days. She couldn't help but smile at their animated reactions to his stories and jokes, or how they seemed to not notice the night go by as they talked and laughed all the way. Ritsuka was grateful for the change of mood, though she couldn't help but feel that Muugen would probably have loved to have been a part of it all, but she could feel the boy's presence still a good way off, his loneliness almost painful. She couldn't help but shake the feeling that his opening up to her was just the beginning, and maybe she should make the next move to initiate another conversation, but what was she to do or say?

Why was everything always so difficult? Everyone else seemed to get on with life fine, a wee bit stressed now and then, a tragedy here and a tragedy there, but Ritsuka couldn't help by think 'why me?'. It just seemed to be constant, like a waterfall was forever ruthlessly falling onto her head with its problems and troubles.

But then again, why not her?

If it was happening to her, then maybe that meant that someone else wasn't getting it?

And what made her so special that these things shouldn't happen to her? What made her any different from everyone else?

Ritsuka felt the heat of the afternoon wash over her as the forest ended, the open fields and moors ahead an ominous setting in these times. Kakashi had said that Yamato had been receiving reports that the Aranii were apparently pretty much extinct, but how could they know that? The different stages of development were progressively smarter. What if the older ones had learned to hide, and were just waiting.

"Hatake?" Kakashi looked at her, his expression changing to worry at the look of panic in her eyes. "What if they've been hiding?" Kakashi rearranged the sleeping girl in his arms and moved closer to the now very nervous Ritsuka.

"Naruto and his team are good at what they do." Kakashi felt that that was a sufficient answer, but Ritsuka's unaffected mood told him otherwise. "They've been hunting them down for days, and the Aranii aren't exactly masterminds." Kakashi tried to lighten the tension with a humorous tone, but again, Ritsuka remained unfazed.

"The older they are, the cleverer they become. They learn, they survive, they adapt. He made them to be versatile. To be like the idea of the ultimate soldiers of war. The only reason that he needed to cull them was because of their increased..." She petered off as she remembered the presence of the still awake boys walking in front of her, their curious ears perking at her words. "You know." Kakashi nodded.

"Look. Let's just take each day as it comes. There's no use getting yourself into such a state about the what-ifs. That was always one of your greatest assets, your ability to predict situations, but it's also one of your biggest let downs, especially when you're emotional like this. Yamato knows all of this, and has chosen to take the chance. You should respect his -" A shout was heard from further ahead, the groups signalling each other to stop.

"Aranii!" Someone shrieked from the front, one of the younger children in Gai's group. Ritsuka felt her stomach tense and her heart stop, her fears coming to life. A flitting thought made her think that maybe it was her imagination's fault, like she had made it happen by thinking it, but she immediately pushed it aside as she felt a now awakening Katsa being shoved into her arms.

"Look after the kids. I'm going on to the front." Ritsuka bit back her objection, signalling the two boys to come closer to her. They clung to her trousers desperately, their eyes darting back and forth. Ritsuka could feel her aching heart as her pulse increased. She began to take deep breaths to calm herself, a clear mind everything she needed right now. She could sense Muugen coming closer to the group, and turned to see him running through the grass, his eyes wide.

And then she saw them.

A large group of Aranii were in pursuit of the boy, their sling shots and grass ropes an indication of their brains' evolution.

This was bad. Very bad.

Ritsuka ordered her three kids to join the group in front, the groups now catching up with everyone else who were now at the top of a small hill. She thanked the younger shinobi in front, unsure of his name as she dashed towards Muugen, Kakashi's voice in her head shouting at her to stick with the group.

But she couldn't sit back and let the boy down. Again. She had to save him, and she could. All she would have to do was avoid the hurtling stones and make shift ropes and get to the frantic boy, throw him over her shoulder and race back to the bigger group, where there was safety in numbers.

Simple.

Ritsuka managed to reach the boy in no time at all, her plan going perfectly as she grabbed Muugen round the middle and tossed him over her shoulder. He kicked and punched at her, his screams and cries for her to put him down going unnoticed as Ritsuka pushed her muscles into an all out run, the group ahead just disappearing over the hill.

Another wave of the Aranii came at them from the right, and Ritsuka felt her heart skip a beat as she made her calculations, her conclusion being that she wouldn't make it to the group on time. She stopped in her tracks and spun to the left, the hoard behind her catching up to her quickly. The boy in her arms had stopped fighting her, his head buried in her jumper as he tried to wish them to safety, his whimpers and shaking body conveying his fear. Ritsuka tried to comfort him as she rubbed the back of his calves, telling him that she had this down, that they would be okay. To trust her.

Ritsuka felt the all too familiar sense of entrapment fill her as she saw another black smudge in the distance to the left, escape seeming somewhat impossible at the moment. All she could do was run into the forest; her legs burning with the lactic acid build up.

"We're gonna die!" The boy shouted to her, his hands balling into fists as he pathetically punched at her lower back. "Their gonna catch us and kill us." Ritsuka tried to keep her spirits up as the boy became more and more defeated, his cries for her to run faster and that she was useless a bit of distraction in her mad dash to safety. Muugen ended up just covering his eyes again, and burying his face into the back of her jumper as Ritsuka jumped into the forest, the branches and leaves cutting at the bared skin on her arms and legs, her cheeks suffering the most as she ran headlong through the darkness, desperate to lose the beasts.

But in their sharper states, they had learned to hunt, their other senses proving of great use to them as the fallowed her, unfaltering.

Ritsuka tried to double back on herself, trying to get towards the shinobi group but further down the forest edge than she had entered, hoping to run round and behind the third group she had seen on the horizon. She could hear the distant sounds of fighting; comforting her that someone was at least doing something to thin the numbers. Then she thought of Kakashi, probably cursing her under his breath as he desperately tried to find her. Man was she a hindrance to that poor man. She smiled softly as she continued to duck and dodge the creatures, impressed at how quickly she was getting back into her old stride. She could feel the years of doing nothing holding her back a little, her fitness level not quite what it was, but God was she kicking ass! Well at running anyway.

She could feel Muugen finally relaxing on her shoulder, and actually finding a use for himself as he shouted out warnings for her to avoid this and that. The two worked quite well as a team, Muugen acting as a sort of second pair of eyes that gave her 360 vision. Survival seemed possible as she managed to gain a little distance between them and the potential death behind them, Muugen's spirits rising as he held himself up so he could see better, his laughter and taunts making Ritsuka smile as she dashed through the dark maze, her brain working in double time.

Ritsuka could see light ahead as she found the outskirts of the forest again, diving out into the open meadow, her heart sinking as she landed to the side of the third group. Most of the creatures continued to run towards the fighting shinobi to her right, but a couple stopped and smelled the air before catching sight if herself and the boy. She skipped to the left as she got back into a full out run again, slipping in and out of the forest as she headed along its edge, desperately trying to outrun and confuse the barbaric beings in pursuit.

Muugen lost some of his confidence as Ritsuka just managed to slip out of the closing hands of some of the faster creatures, his fear returning as he clutched at Ritsuka again.

Ritsuka could feel her legs turning to jelly, her muscles becoming incompliant as she felt herself stumble. She caught herself before hitting the ground, but Muugen's confidence in her wavered.

"Are you okay?" The boy's panicked worry for her was surprising yet endearing, and Ritsuka smiled at him with all the happiness she could muster.

"Of course!" She chimed, the boy's confidence in her returning slightly. He then turned back to see the terrifying closeness of death and urged his saviour to move it. Ritsuka forced every piece of energy she had into running, her breath now coming out in short laboured pants. Muugen was surprisingly supportive as he began telling her that she 'could do this' and that he 'fully trusted her ability to get them out of this'. But Ritsuka was afraid that it just wasn't enough as the physical part of her lagged behind.

"Their gaining on us!" Muugen would shriek, and Ritsuka would burst off, her legs now completely numb and only habit keeping them moving in the right way. An unexpected unevenness in the ground passed them, and Ritsuka felt something snap in her ankle. She managed to catch herself before she fell, her desperate attempts to feebly run making her groan in annoyance and pain. "Crap!" Muugen pushed himself off of her shoulder, and took her by the arm, attempting to prop her up so that they could continue to run.

"Go!" Ritsuka pulled herself away from the boy and shoved him forward. "Run!" But Muugen found himself glued to the spot.

"I... can't." Ritsuka couldn't help but feel the sweetness of the situation imprint itself in her heart, but its seriousness overtook.

"You must. I'll be right behind you." Ritsuka began to hobble into a clumsy run, her cries of pain when she stumbled making Muugen flinch. She kept pushing him in front of her, begging for him to run on, to get away. Eventually Muugen began to pick up speed and was slowly leaving the girl behind, his panicked looks over his shoulder regular as he made his escape. Ritsuka could feel the tension in the air increase as the rumbling in the ground increased, fast, the closing in of her fate seeming almost like a dream. Muugen stopped ahead, his shouts for her to hurry panicking her.

Ritsuka felt something cut her back, the claws of a grasping creature almost capturing her. The smell of rotten flesh and blood assaulted her nose as she pushed on, her pathetic run looking more like a fucked up bunny hop.

Ritsuka looked at her surroundings, plans forming in her mind as she noticed the cliff edge running closer and closer alongside her. She could see Muugen ahead, his backwards run and constant shouts frustrating her as she worried for his safety. She then began signalling to the boy, getting him to meet her at the edge.

He seemed to be a little unsure, but ran to meet her all the same, his expression uncertain as he stopped at the edge, looking over into the very, very far away ground. Ritsuka nodded to him, her smile showing as she tried to comfort the boy into trusting her fully.

Though she didn't really trust herself, this seeming like her only option now.

"What are you- " the boy didn't have time to finish his sentence as Ritsuka grabbed him around the middle, his little arms wrapping round her, followed by a slight 'oof'.

And they were falling. Muugen tried not to scream as he felt his stomach disappear into his lungs, the air around him moving so fast he was struggling to breathe.

Oh dear god! She was killing them both!

...

Kakashi raced ahead of the few shinobi that they had, his eyes desperately searching for Ritsuka. 'Stay with the group' he had said, 'look after the kids', simple tasks, yet for some reason the girl had fucked off into more danger than was necessary, again!

Kakashi kicked and punched and tore his was through an oncoming group, his fatigue catching up on him quickly with his revealed sharingan. He searched and searched, but couldn't see her.

But there was a group of Aranii disappearing into the forest, and reappearing much further ahead. So Kakashi ran alongside the forest, his narrow escapes and close encounters not seeming to phase him as his mind settled on one thing only.

Ritsuka.

Yamato had the rest of the group surrounded by a wooden sanctuary, an excellent strategy of defence against these brutes. His skilled shinobi group were more than enough to win this fight, Gai and Shikamaru an excellent help.

So Kakashi was pretty much free to run ahead, taking the black creatures out from behind, thinning their numbers while also looking for Ritsuka.

Kakashi sighed as he killed three creatures with the one jutsu, a little depressed that he was still having to do this. He would be having words with the clearly over confident Naruto when he saw him next.

Pretty much extinct indeed.

Kakashi could see the figure of Ritsuka up ahead, his keen sharingan watching her intently as she hobbled and limped towards a panicked Muugen, and then witnessed her do something incredibly stupid and reckless.

...

Ritsuka concentrated hard as she pushed chakra into her hand, a blue light shining as she thrust her right hand into the stone of the cliff face. She could feel the pair of them slowing down, about six of the black creatures zooming past to their death.

"Hold on!" Ritsuka called to the boy, which was pointless really as the boy had already wrapped every limb he had around her waist. She then charged her left hand and thrust it into the stony wall, the wonderful burning sensation another fantastic side affect of being her. But they were still falling even though she was trying her best to stop, Muugen's whimper making her much more aware of their now imminent death. She then charged her feet, the concentration needed making her sweat as she kicked them against the cliff side, her shout of effort making Muugen flinch in fright. He ankle was most definitely broken in some way.

And they stopped.

Another couple of creatures fell past them, their arms reaching and grabbing for them as they passed.

"Don't ever do that again!" Muugen shouted, clearly unhappy with her brilliant plan.

"Are we safe?" The boy's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"Are you always this reckless?" Ritsuka beamed.

"Of course!" Muugen groaned as he buried his head once again into her jumper, the warmth that she exuded almost addictive. Muugen felt his eyes fill as his emotions conflicted, his hatred for what she had done and his dependency on her attention mingling with each other confusingly. Of course now, his gratitude for her saving his life, even if it was a little reckless, was battling, and possibly winning as he weighed up the evidence.

Because, like she had said, she hadn't meant to do what she did.

She didn't know.

She was genuinely sorry.

Kentaro had made her do it, just like he had made many people do lots of things. He had seen it. He had been made to do things he never wanted to think about. Made his brother leave him forever.

Made his brother die.

Ritsuka had only brought them to a home as orphans. She thought she was doing the right thing.

He could even remember the day that she had escaped, her attempts to free them all having gone all wrong when his own brother had fought her, threatening her sons life. He had called for Kentaro, called for him to control his 'bitch'. Things that his brother would never have done. He could remember Ritsuka's face, her deep apology to them all as she fled, vowing to release them, vowing to bring Kentaro to justice.

And she had.

She had repented.

Kept her word, and saved what was left of them.

Muugen felt his eyes sting with confusion, his mind feeling like mush as he looked at the girl holding the walls of a cliff, saving his life once again. She huffed and puffed as her fatigued body wrestled with her, her eyes calculating their escape still as he held on to her, feeling sorry for himself, like a child. He could never apologise for the things he had said, his pride too strong as he scowled and stared at the ground below, wondering if things would be easier if he just let go, if he just threw himself to his death to escape this agonising matrix.

He couldn't help but feel like he had betrayed his brother's memory by falling for the girl's kindness, but he couldn't help himself.

He had no one else.

Muugen didn't even notice his grip fail until Ritsuka caught him by the hand, her grip on the wall slipping as they began to fall again.

"Muugen! Hold on! I've got you!" Muugen felt the words pierce him as he dangled in the balance of fate, allowing life to decide for him what was to happen. "Are you alright? Muugen." Ritsuka smiled softly as she saw the tears flooding from the clearly frustrated boy, forgetting for a moment that they were both hanging, literally, in the balance. "It's alright. You're safe now. I'm here. I've got you." Muugen tried his best to hide his face with his free arm, annoyed that the girl seemed to look straight into his soul. Seemed to know exactly what to do or say at exactly the right times. Ritsuka held back a groan as she pulled the boy up so that he could attach himself to her again, his desperate hug warming her heart.

Ritsuka charged her hand again and thrust it back to the wall, their steady sliding coming to an end.

**What's this? a new chapter? so soon after the last. I am as shocked as you!**

**Well I hope you enjoy this one. Some craziness and soon hopefully some smut lol!**


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